Well, class of 2019, we made it.

Within the next week, we will have finished our first year of college. And hasn’t it been an amazing year? It was a year of so many “news.” New city, new professors, new teams, new friends -- the list goes on and on.

Can you even remember move in day? It feels like it was ages ago. You showed up early with your family complaining about how much you packed. You met your very first roommate and hoped that you would be able to get along. Then you got one last (tearful) hug from your parents, and you were on your own. Eventually, you ventured down the hall and had your first encounters with your new neighbors, some of whom became your closest friends.

At semester, you thought you had the college thing down. By that point, you had made your new group of friends, settled into your classes, and pretty much gotten the campus memorized. You had only locked yourself out once (or twice), and you had successfully navigated your late night fire drill. You also had fallen victim to your first “dorm plague.” And then came another first -- finals week.

Finals. Weren’t those fun? It was the first time you truly realize the effects of too much caffeine and not enough sleep. You also learned the true meaning of the word stress. Tensions were high, and some tears might have been shed, but you made it. Finals weren’t all bad, though; study sessions turned into dance parties or impromptu food runs.

Then came the beloved Winter Break. After promising all you new friends that you will Facetime every day, you head home. Maybe this was your first time home since move-in day. Maybe you were a duffel-bag student and went home every weekend. Either way, it feels amazing to think that you get to be with your friends and family for an entire month. You cuddled with your pets and played catch-up with you “back home” friends, trading stories about your new lives. Winter holidays and New Years fly by, and next thing you know you are back on campus for your second semester.

Second semester seemed to fly by even faster than the first. By mid-February you already had spring fever, and when finals hit you were just ready for summer. So here we are—finals are over, and everyone is packing up their rooms. Tears are being shed, partially in relief for finishing the year and partially from not being ready to leave behind everyone and everything that has become such an integral part of your life. You might even miss the cafeteria food (probably not, though).