Junior year was equally one of the most fun yet challenging years of my college career. A quick recap on the good would include living in my sorority house, turning 21, getting to be a big to two amazing littles then getting an even more amazing g-little, finding out what I want to do with my life, and having a great group of gals supporting me through all of it.

However, I wouldn’t relive it if I was given a chance. Not a single day.

Truly, junior year was the year of trials. Everything seemed to present itself in some form of a test and I feel like I had to make a lot of internal decisions. Some of these decisions resulting in an answer I didn't love but that is part of growing up. Here are 13 things I learned this year:

1. You don’t always get what you want

I think this is an important life lesson in general, you can't always get what you want. And you won't always get what you want. I think by not getting things I've wanted I have learned more about myself than in times when I got what I wanted.

For one thing, your true motive will present itself to you. Why are you going after certain things? Why are you trying to date certain people or have certain jobs? When you learn what motivates you to do the things you do you see who you really are. If every motive is about yourself, what does that say?

2. People are here for a reason or a season

Ah, the season or the reason. My mom says this and I swear I learn this lesson all the time. At some point, I'll be able to spot the reasons from the seasons but until then let me break it down for you.

A person who is here for a reason are people that are stick around in your life for a real reason. They're true friends or loved ones that are a positive relationship-not a perfect one but a positive one that challenges you for the betterment of you. People for a season can sometimes get a bad rep because it sounds like the type of people who are users.

That's not necessarily the case. Sometimes you get really great people in your life who help you through a certain time. Season people aren't going to be around forever at some point you'll go your separate ways and you don't come back together but you can at least appreciate the memories you had with them.

3. Be your own formal date

There's no shame in not bringing a date, and it has taken me two proms, three formals, and one semi to realize that.

This year marked the time I didn't bring a date and I had a lot more fun without one. I mean having a date is fun, truly it's great, but not having one and going with your friends is so much better. You can have just as fire photos without a date, you can slay the dance floor even more so when there isn't pressure to "look cool", and if you want to eat Jimmy Johns with one of your best gals afterward instead of going out to bars — you can!

I think I always felt better having a date because I always felt like I had to prove myself of being "worthy" but the only person who needed to know I was worthy was me. So I proved it to myself.

4. Embrace who you are, even when others don’t

Similar to my last article, I have learned that there will be people who try to rain on your parade. They will pick all of the flowers they deem "pretty" out of your garden and leave the rest. All I can tell you is you have to be yourself.

At the end of the day, you got you and if your trying to be someone else or half of yourself then you won't be happy. You'll find the people who will love you for you and you'll hold to them tightly because you will love them for being themselves.

Fun fact about being an adult: you don't have to be friends with those who criticize you, talk down to you, or sully your name. If there's anything to be with them it's nice, just be nice to them they won't have much to say if you're just plain old kind to someone. Be you, be true, and be kind.

5. Some seasons have more rain than sunshine

They say if you want the rainbow you have to deal with the rain, through hard times we will find solace. The rainy seasons are the ones where we can't sleep, we feel misunderstood, we want to talk about it but there's not really words to describe it, and a little time alone is just necessary. These moments don't last forever and you can't make yourself feel that way.

When your forecast says all rain get your umbrella and push through because the sun will come out again.

6. Keep your eye on the prize

We do the things we do with an end goal in mind, whatever yours may be don't lose sight of it. Even when your fighting with friends, get ghosted by a guy, or the times you simply don't feel your best.

Don't lose sight of your goal, you have things you want to achieve and a life you want to live. Life is challenging, but you have to beat the challenge to make the goal. I know it sounds very Shia Labeouf-esque, you know "just do it" but truly you gotta push through and achieve your goals.

7. There are times you have to express yourself

I learned this lesson through watching Sex and the City, which to most sounds silly but I learned to say what's on my mind. Just as Carrie does when she finds life getting chaotic, I spoke out when I felt I was losing control of a situation. Yes, afterward I felt like I was a crazy person but there is no what if looming in the back of my mind.

I said what I needed to say, defended myself, and left the situation. It gets exhausting having to be understanding about others when they refuse to understand you. And it's humorous how quickly people think they know everything about you when truly they haven't even scratched the surface. So before someone tries to tell you what you want, you tell them.

8. There’s power in not saying anything

In some situations, you don't need to call someone out on their act. In fact, sometimes you need not say anything to them because that could get you in trouble.

In some instances you can talk your way right out of getting what you want. I have found myself in situations where I probably would have gotten what I wanted if I had sat back and been quiet for a while. Instead, I chose to be me, and push buttons to try to understand when I should've just waited.

There are also times where I have inserted my opinion when it wasn't necessary and it wasn't constructive. Those opinions if anything didn't make me look smarter nor did I feel good when I said them. If enough mouths are running you might as well conserve your energy and keep yours shut. It isn't the easiest step but it proves to be the most effective.

9. Think before you act

Pretty self-explanatory, but also a life lesson I learned I need to make into a mantra. If you think about what you do before you do it, odds are you won't do it. This will keep you from doing petty things that you think will stick it to the man, whoever it may be to you, because ultimately the things you do without thinking about are the ones that get you into hot water.

It sounds very petty of me to say that but I only say it because I am still trying to master this one. We all would like to think we are smart enough to stop to ask ourselves "should I be doing this" but sometimes we let our emotions blind us and that can be dangerous. Don't ignore your head for the sake of your heart and vice versa. You have to use them in tandem to know what's right.

10. Breathe

Life gets overwhelming very quickly. At times we feel like we are falling short of who we should be, or who we thought we'd already be by now. When you let these thoughts weigh down on you the days get harder. The smallest thing you can do is breathe through the hard parts. Inhale the blessings and exhale the bad thoughts. It sounds silly but we need to remind ourselves that we are going to be okay.

You just have to keep breathing through it.

11. Enjoy these moments, but don’t live in them forever

I found myself reminded of some really great memories I had in past years making me a little nostalgic, a feeling I don't love to be honest. There are so many happy times in life that have already happened and are yet to occur. Don't dwell on the past to wish you could live in it, that's robbing you joy from the present! If you continually wish you could go back to a past event then you're never going to be content with what is happening now.

Yes, there have been so many great memories and yes, we should talk about them to remind ourselves of them but they are not all we have. We have amazing moments happening now and in the future so don't live in the past!

12. Try to be happy, not perfect

The perfect Barbie doll is the one that stays in the box on the shelf for its whole life. The Barbie doll that made you happy was the one you took everywhere, you cut her hair, and you lost her shoes. Perfection cannot be achieved, and honestly what is considered a perfect life?

We are flawed creatures that make mistakes daily. Striving for perfection can only magnify those flaws until they consume us whole. Instead, aim for a healthy and happy life. Find what sets that soul of yours on fire and pursue it.

13. Things happen when you least expect them to

Every time I have heard this statement it is about dating or finding "the one" but I am here to tell you that it applies to other aspects of life. And in order for you to understand you have to go out and live your life. I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life as I had changed my mind at least five times within two years of college.

Okay, fortunately, they were all within two majors I was considering so I didn't have to change my entire scholastic track. I don't understand how I'm supposed to know exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life during the first year and a half of my college career. However, I was lucky enough to decide to pursue a minor in my favorite subject that led me to take a class called Social Gerontology. Then I discovered I want a career that can combine Communications and Gerontology.

All of this is to say you never know what will happen unless you go for things. When you're out living your life, that's when life starts happening because you aren't sitting at home waiting for it to knock on your door.

This year was one for the books, and while I'm grateful it happened I'm relieved it is finally over. Now, I'm a senior in college and this next year being my last will hopefully be just as challenging and a lot more fun than the previous. Cheers to the future!