Year One

How can I sum up my first year of college? It was crazy, long, fun, insane, difficult... I had a lot of hard days, but some of my favorite times were in this first year or college. So I decided to write about it. :) Summer is wrapping up, and I'm getting ready to start my sophmore year (yay! I'm not a freshman anymore!!).

First semester: Whooooaaaaa. Week one, I thought I was going to die. Okay, not really, but I was miserable. I'd been dreading starting college for weeks, and that first day? I had no trouble finding my classes, and it seemed like my teachers were going to be nice. But I still remember sitting in my English class, leaning my chin against my hand, staring at my teacher as she talked, and realizing I was going to have to be on campus five days a week until Christmas. That's when I thought I was going to hate college. From there I headed to my Psychology class, where I also sat miserably (in the front row), wishing that I'd never graduated.

I don't really remember much else about that first week except that I managed not to break down until Wednesday. I also don't really remember when I started interacting with the girls who I now call very dear friends, but I do recall it happened on the walk between English and Psych, which we were all taking.

As I got into a groove, I began to hate college less and less. Sure, I still wanted to go back to homeschooling, but I was enjoying my classes, and I had made friends within the first month. My first semester was turning out to be a success! Plus, I got to work as a reading tutor for first graders, which meant I was getting paid to read picture books with adorable children.

I passed all my classes, which thrilled me, and I headed into Christmas break feeling great about my first semester. Christmas break flew past way too quickly, but I headed into the second semester with my head up. My math class, which was at 8 am (NEVER AGAIN) turned out to be not as difficult as I'd originally thought, and even though I didn't have classes with the friends I'd made first semester (except math, but we were at different tables), I still saw them regularly.

My second semester was harder than the first, mostly because I was busier. I had more homework, and I was doing classroom observation, as well as working, and teaching religious education. Long semester, but I still pulled good grades in all my classes. When the last weekend before summer hit, and I was studying for my finals (two out of my four classes didn't have finals), I started counting down the hours until I was finished.

And then, suddenly, I was done. I had taken my last final (math), and I was at home and ready to relax. I can still remember lying on my couch, reading something on my iPod touch, and trying to realize that I had until August to relax. It took a while for that to sink in, and it took even longer to stop having brief moments of panic thinking that I had forgotten an assignment.

It has been a great summer. I got to spend time with friends and family, but I also got lots of relaxing me-time. I read some great books, and even got some writing done (although not as much as I wish; my imaginary friends won't talk to me). I also got to attend a Steubenville conference as a young adult leader, which was an awesome experience. Overall, I am very happy with the way the last year of my life has gone. I learned lots about being an adult, and I made some wonderful, lifelong friends. I can only hope that my life continues down this fabulous path that God has put me on.