Everyone always told me that college changes you and that your first semester will push you full force into the in-between. You'll plunge into this place where you are not quite in the real adult world, but you are definitely not where you once were; you are somewhere lost in the middle. I guess that I never really believed it until it happened to me–until I saw the change. The truth is, I am a different person than I was in August: different things are more important to me, I am more mature, I am becoming a part of the in-between.

Here are somethings I have learned my first semester of college:

1. Sometimes it’s okay to cry all day in your pjs.

Life is hard. Boys will make you cry. You will get bad grades. You will mess up. Sometimes all you need is a day (or two) to let yourself get over it. Crying in your matching elephant pajama set while binge watching Grey’s Anatomy is perfectly acceptable–in my opinion. Let the tears roll and the episodes fly by, but the next morning you have to put your feet on the floor and look outside at the sun. It’s a new day; you will be okay.

2. You will change.

There is just no denying this. The first semester of college does something to you; it fosters a side of you that you did not even know existed. It will truly knock you down as low as you can go, but it will also allow you to experience some of the most rewarding highs you ever could have imagined. This change is not necessarily a bad thing; it is who you are. The place you are in–the place your first semester brings you–is exactly where you are supposed to be. Accept that, and choose to embrace who you are becoming.

3. The friends you make are there for a reason.

The friends that I made my first semester helped me through one of the biggest transitions that life has thrown at me yet. You will meet people from all over the city, the state, the country, the world who now have at least one thing in common with you– your school. My best friend in college has meant more to me than she will ever know. This person will laugh with you, be nervous over tests with you, binge watch Netflix on Sunday afternoons, cry with you, let you crash on a mattress in her dorm room floor for a few days (okay maybe a week or two) while you deal with heartbreak, she will encourage you to be something new. Your college best friend knows a different side of you than any of your friends back home, but don’t worry: your high school friends could never be replaced. Just know that they know who you were, but this person is a part of who you have become.

4. Remember to talk to your family.

I know this seems like something that without a doubt you would do, but as the months go by calling your family becomes less and less of a priority. In the beginning, you will feel like you need to have some form of contact every day (well at least I did). And that makes sense because that is basically how it has been for the first eighteen or so years of your life. As you become more and more involved and more and more busy, the calls and texts you send to them will become less frequent. This isn’t because you love them any less or are trying to be an adult on your own or something–you will simply forget. So what I’m saying is, try your very hardest not to forget. Try to think about how much your mom must miss you and how your dad never gets to talk to his little girl/boy anymore. Your parents are immensely important in this stage of your life. They are the bridge from the beginning to this in-between stage; they know both the high school version of you and are getting to know the blossoming college you. Yes, they are a part of your past, but they should also be a part of your future.

5. Do not let the activities consume you.

I am a member, and hold a position, of a sorority; I’m in the Honors Program; I am a Freshman Senator; I take Honors Classes; I am taking eighteen hours; I have friends; I try to have a social life–the list goes on and on. All of these things are awesome and if you have the opportunity, you should definitely be a part of them and even more if you desire. These are all parts of why college is so much fun and exciting, but do not let them force you to lose sight of what means the most to you. I was too caught up in all that college had to offer, and in turn, I lost one of the most important people in the world to me. I pushed someone away without ever realizing it and once I had, it was too late. I do not regret the friendships I made. I do not regret the memories. But something that I would change, is the idea I had in my head that people from my past could not be a part of the transition into the future.

Do what you have to do; do what makes YOU happy; do not push away the people you love.

6. Trust in Jesus.

This is pretty much a life motto, but it is something that was my saving grace this first semester. Life dealt me a tough hand over the past few months and I cannot reiterate enough that God was the only one who could get me through it. For a while, I could not even put my feet on the ground without praying that God would help me get up that morning. The heartache was debilitating, but Jesus wrapped His arms around me, and He never ever let go. Truly trust that God will help you through whatever trial (or trials) that college brings you–only His love is enough.

Here’s to you and finding your place in the “in-between” and here’s to me finding my own.