When I first started college, I thought that the next four years were going to be some of the most memorable of my life. That’s what I had been told my entire life and, after arriving in Charlottesville, I wanted to believe it.

But honestly, I was so scared of what was to come. I didn’t know anyone at the university and I didn’t know what to expect at a university that was culturally different from my hometown.

Yet, my first year at the university turned out to be harder than I imagined. There were a lot of ups and downs, as I tried to make new friends, to fit in, and to grasp the intensity of college life.

Overall, I learned a lot that year, but I wouldn’t call it one of the best years of my life. My second year in college was also a struggle, as I dealt with life decisions regarding my major, took hard classes that proved to be detrimental to my mental health, and went out a lot more than I should have.

The work-hard-play-hard mentality that is held up among students at UVA played a key role in my second-year experience at UVA, and I am so thankful that it was merely a phase rather than the defining factor of my college career.

Throughout this time, and leading into my third year, I was in a long-term relationship that I now realize was not what I needed at the time. Although my third year was much more relaxed and made me realize what I truly wanted to major in, my relationship still loomed over me and made me feel exhausted more than 50% of the time. When I finally realized that this wasn’t a good way to go about being in a relationship, I decided to end it. It was a tough decision, but I believed being friends was more beneficial for both of us in the end.

Going into my fourth year, I was single for the first time in two years, and I had never felt better. I finally began to reevaluate my goals, realized who my true friends were, and started to seriously focus on my schoolwork and postgrad goals.

I’ve explored different careers and researched all my postgrad options, and I am still not 100% set on what I want to do, but being single, and, mainly, focusing on myself, has definitely helped me put things into perspective. Looking back on these past four years has made me realize that college is truly memorable, but not in the way that I originally imagined it to be.

I've made many mistakes and cried over pointless things, but I've also experienced some of the most amazing things I could have at this point in my life. I've sat at the library until 8 a.m. cramming for exams with my best friend, all while attempting to create a plan to steal another student's hot Cheetos out of hunger for a solid three hours.

I've gone to parties and social events with my friends, eventually ending up at Little John's at 2 a.m. for a post-going out feast. I've sat at Carter Mountain watching the sunset with good friends. I've spent hours laughing at reality shows and eating chips with old roommates.

I've watched the Victoria's Secret fashion show intermittently during finals week with my roommate for two years in a row (the third one is coming up, and I am so ready).

I've studied abroad and traveled to four different countries with classmates I barely knew. I've made memories through the clubs and organizations I've become super involved in and learned so many things I could not have had the opportunity to learn in a typical classroom setting.

These memories are some of the ones I will cherish forever.

To those of you who think that college is “one of the most memorable times of your life,” you are correct. There are some amazing things that you’ll experience in college and you’ll probably meet great people along the way.

However, college isn’t all about the amazing adventures you’ve gone on with friends or the positive memories you associate with the university, as you’ve probably been in more than one not-so-great situation or have had to deal with stressful encounters and tough life choices.

What is important to understand is that once you get to a point in your life where you realize that all your experiences, good or bad, have shaped you into who you are, you will be grateful for all the experiences you’ve gone through. Not all your college memories will be phenomenal, but at the end of the day, you are who you are because of all of them.

My college experience has been a rollercoaster of emotions; I have memories that I want to forget and experiences I would have liked to avoid, but I also have memories that bring a smile to my face and make me happy to have attended UVA.

In the end, those are the ones that will shape my future view of the University and make me regard my college experience as one that is truly memorable.

Regardless of the stress, sadness, and anger that UVA has caused me in the past, I will still look at my time here as one that has shaped me into the person I am today, and look forward to new experiences that will further shape me into a better person.