By Victoria Howard
As the warm weather comes in and finals stress sinks in, there is no doubt we are all ready to go home. We’re ready for home cooked meals, showers without flip flops on, and most importantly no responsibilities. Dorm door whiteboards are covered with countdowns and parents are starting to take trips to bring some of the load of stuff home for the summer. We’re all ready to go home. Group messages are going wild with plans for the summer with our childhood best friends. But behind all this excitement comes an ending to one of the craziest years of our lives.
Just this past year, we’ve learned to share rooms, shower in tiny spaces, and somehow procrastinate worse than high school. But along with the weird new talents, came a new family. First of which was the roommate, whether your best friend or acquaintance, she’s seen you at all moments: panic, sick, crying, and o the wall with excitement. It’s now that each of those late night vent sessions or dance parties seem to be the most memorable parts of freshman year. Your freshman year roommate is the one who saw you moments after you said goodbye to your parents the first day, and moments after you begged your parents to leave so you could get back to your best friends again just months later. Sure, three months with your own room sounds like heaven. But three months without your roommate is going to be one big adjustment. A lonely one, especially for me, since I’m in a house of boys. Thanks for being my sister for the year and my friend forever. It’s been a wild one, but I couldn’t of imagined it without you.
As for my new girl gang, where do I start? When you walk into freshman year there’s very few people who don’t think they will have no friends. I’m guilty myself. But before I knew it I was surrounded by girls I have no doubt will be in my wedding party. From crazy nights out to sitting on our dorm room floors cramming in some studying, you guys have been through it all. It’s the endless laughs at dinner to spending WAY too long in the dining hall that I know I’ll talk about all summer. I’ll talk about you nonstop to the point everyone at home will know you just as well as I do. You guys have seen me at my all time lows and my highest of highs. Even in different dorms, we’ve never managed to last longer than a few hours without each other. The month of Christmas break felt like a year, so we’re in for it this summer. Some of my best friends now live states away instead of walking distance. Sure it’ll be nice seeing my family and friends again, but my new family will be scattered across the country.
Most importantly, freshmen year was the change we all needed. We’ve all learned how to live on our own and how to be our authentic selves. Everyone says people change in college, but thinking of myself in September is like looking a stranger. I’ve grown up. I couldn’t be happier with the person I’ve become, and couldn’t be happier with the people I was lucky enough to grow with. To everyone who made this year amazing, you know who you are. xoxo