I can’t believe the end of the year is here. 

Sometimes I feel like August was just yesterday when we all just got back to Oxford to start the school year.

The older I get, the faster the time goes by in college. Everything seems to happen so fast except for these last two weeks feel like an eternity with studying for finals, finishing up research papers, projects, and any final busy work. As my sophomore year comes to a close, I have been reflecting a lot on my life. This year was definitely full of ups and downs. I’m going to share what I’ve learned this year: from my professors, from my friends, from my sorority and Greek life overall, and from my family.

1. Experiencing recruitment from the other side for the first time during your fall sophomore is one big stressful “hot mess express” train wreck, but it’s also one of the best things ever. During recruitment week you probably feel like ripping your hair out, hibernating for 48+ hours due to exhaustion, and taking a break from being at your sorority house because it feels like at any second everyone might have a nervous break down and start fighting like in “Mean Girls” when Katy Heron hallucinates that people are fighting like they’re African jungle animals. By the end of the week though you feel closer to your  sorority sisters.

2. If you can survive rush week through the other side, you can conquer anything. After you’ve gone through recruitment from the other side, you feel on top of the world. That huge midterm in Biology you have? You can ace it. Got a really important interview for a summer internship? You got this one in the bag. Okay this might be an exaggeration, but recruitment gives you confidence and more people skills. If you can keep the conversation going with a really awkward person during a recruitment round, you can talk to anyone no problem, even the most intimidating people out there. Not that it’s easy but you’ll be prepared.

3. If you try out or apply for something, don’t beat yourself up for it if you don’t make it. It doesn’t mean that you aren’t smart or under-qualified. I believe that everything happens for a reason. Keep trying to get involved by applying for things. You win some and loose some in life.

4. Be committed to everything you do. If you can’t be committed to an organization you’re apart of, then why are you even in it? Try not to let people down.

5. Do what you love to do.If you don’t want to be an accounting major and are having serious doubts about majoring in it, then find a new major!  Better to get out of it now rather than suffer later!

6. Friendship is a two way street. If only one of you is making an effort to hang out and be a good friend, then maybe it’s time to talk to each other about what’s going on or peacefully end that friendship.

7. Visit your professors during office hours. You will need letters of recommendation for graduate school, job applications, etc. so make friends with some of your professors and earn a good reputation with them because they can write you these letters of recommendation.

8. Appreciate your family in all that they do for you. Keep in touch with your parents. Call them at least once a week just to catch up about life and stuff. Be a good role model if you have siblings.