I can’t believe my two weeks of college are over. From move-in to Songfest, so much has happened. I have already made thousands of memories with my floormates from marathoning The Office at 1 a.m. to playing frisbee on the freshman quad. Most importantly, I learned so much about my school and about myself.

The first thing I learned is that the work hard play hard lifestyle requires work. During this past week, classes have started to get harder and the workload has increased exponentially. However, I realized that college is not all about academics. Partying with friends on the weekends is a great way to let loose and forget about the stress. This lifestyle is much harder to maintain than said. It is too easy to lose yourself among the craziness and partying and forget to study. It is okay to say no to party. College is a place to learn not to party.

In addition, I learned that the studying in college is way different from high school. While I was able to finish homework in high school in less than a few hours, I have to spend several hours doing work for every subject outside of class. Attending office hours is key and it is important to communicate with your professors.

Another important lesson I learned in college is that I have to take initiative if I want something. For example, I have to contact club leaders if I want to join their club. They want to help you but you have to reach out first. Opportunities are everywhere. When I attended the Student Activities Fair during the first week of college, I was overwhelmed by the hundreds of clubs present on campus. After reaching out to various club leaders, I now know exactly want I want to participate in.

Free time in college is so valuable. Even after a long and busy day, it is essential to take time for yourself whether that is working out in the gym or simply jamming out to music in your dorm.

Furthermore, I learned what true friends are. Even though I have only known my floormates for a week, I know that they are always there for me. I am so happy that I have found my family away from home. They make it easy to forget about homesickness and the fact that I am more than 2000 miles away from my family. I am so grateful to have found such an amazing group of friends. The sense of community present at Emory is not something that can be found at any school.

Most importantly, I learned how to be an adult. Growing up, I was fortunate to have so many family members and friends watching out for me. Now, that I am on my own I have to learn how to take care of myself. Balancing school work, extracurriculars, and a social life requires work and sacrifices. Of course, there are days that I wish being an adult was not so hard. However, college has been such a valuable learning experience. I can not wait for the next four years!