It's almost impossible to really take in my first year at college and digest it. So much happened so fast that it's kind of difficult to comprehend it. I met so many people, I experienced so many new things, I grew so much. It was scary and endlessly exciting at the same time. However, I would consider my first year at Towson University to be a success.

Let's set the record straight, though, living on your own for the first time is terrifying. No matter if your eighteen or eighty-eight, having to take care of yourself independently is a gigantic adjustment. You go from constantly having people around you to support and listen, to being well...alone. Thankfully, my freshman year I had a good roommate and my family was just a phone call away.

Once I was relieved of this anxiety, sometime during my first semester, I began to thrive. Suddenly, college was a world of opportunity where I could call all my own shots. It was like my entire life I had been riding in a convertible and could for the first time ride with the top down. Every day was a new adventure filled with new experiences, and more importantly, new people.

While I can't say that everyone I met was great, there was a boy who bullied me and another who had no regard for human decency, I can say that, overall, I met some real gems. I met people that were so different than the ones at home but were still kind and friendly just the same. Through my film society, Lambda Kappa Tau, and my sorority, Alpha Epsilon Phi, I have made connections that will last a lifetime.

So, while there were definitely some bumps in the road my first year of college, I wouldn't have it any other way. For it was from these obstacles, like being homesick and bullied that I grew and adapted. I had experiences and met people that completely transformed me. It is my first year of college that has shaped me into the confident, fearless, unapologetic young woman that I am today.