My freshman year in college was crazy - literally insanity. I switched my major roughly 5 times within the first 6 moths of starting college. I made and lost friends. I learned what it felt like to be truly lost in a class and barely make it out alive (never again Chemistry…never again). Realized that friends don’t just appear - you have to go out of your way (and comfort zone, might I add) to make new friends, and geeze can it be exhausting. I also went through heartbreak and heartache - breaking off one relationship for another. Four years later (holy crap.), I’m older, wiser, and single-er (real word? It is now!), and I have a better idea of what I want out of life.
College is crazy. I guess I never really thought about how crazy it could be. When I was in high school, I thought that was crazy. I honestly didn’t think I could make it out of high school alive. And if it weren’t for doing Post Secondary at the Rochester Community & Technical College, I don’t know how I would have made it out. Going to college early was a life saver in many senses. It made me realize how wonderful college could be, and how relieving it is to be given a fresh start to create a new you.
In a way, that’s what I’m focusing on this year. Me. It’s been almost a full year since I’ve been single, and it has been one of the most amazing, rewarding journeys I’ve ever been on. Looking back on the year, there was so much change. If I had known in the months leading up to my third year of college how much change I would go through and all the challenges I would be presented with, I probably would have thrown in the towel and avoided all of it. But now? I’ll take it all head on. The breakups, the stress, the frustration, heartache, missing home and my childhood and family, not to mention that I was taking 18 credits, I had my internship with the university, and my Resident Assistant position - all at once. But along with all of the hardships and tough times, there are the good times. Like when I bonded with my residents for the first times, when I was able to spend time with my best friends on the East Coast, when I got to go to the Imagine Dragons concert in Baltimore with my best friend, when I studied abroad in Belize for two weeks, and all the friends I made in the process with my family and friends’ love and support.
2013-2014 was a crazy year for college, but I have
grown so much stronger because of all of it.
So what does the 2014-2015 academic year hold for me? No clue. But what I do know is that I am excited to take it head on. Full force. All or nothing. It’s my Senior Year (do I call it my senior year even though technically I’m a Super Senior? Either way…), and I want to make the most out of it for me. I’m done with the negativity and drama, with people who have bad intentions and just want to bring others down. I’m done sugar coating things for the people with bad intentions. Of course I will look out for my residents and be there 100% for them every step of the way. I want to encourage kindness in my residents, but I also want to encourage them to be independent thinkers and to be brutally honest and stand up for themselves - it took me a while to learn that lesson, and I’m stronger and much happier now because of it.
My residence hall brings me full circle. I started my college experience in this hall, and now I’m ending it here. There are tons of emotions involved - excitement and nervousness, but most importantly of all: confidence, and that’s what I plan on rocking this year.
Thanks for reading this long post after an eternity of nothingness :)
In the comments below, tell me what you’ve learned from your personal college experiences!
<3 AnnaMarie
