We’ve officially passed midterms, and it’s now halfway through the first semester, which is halfway through the year.
At least in my eyes.
We did the studying. We did the testing. We probably even did crying.
But the midterms aren’t what I wanted to write about. I want to write about how much better this new routine has gotten.
It started out pretty rough. I hated the food; I hated my classes, and I hated not having friends.
I kept being told, “You just need to wait. Get involved and talk to people.” But how was I supposed to do that when everyone had their friend groups from day one? It didn’t seem fair that I had to stay here and suffer. But I did, and I couldn’t be happier.
I love having the freedom to make my own schedule and hold myself fully accountable for my work, my sleep schedule, and my spending habits … oops!
But there’s something I love even more. The new friends I’ve made.
Becoming a lot more involved with everything, I started to ease back into my old self and talk up a storm to anyone I met. I joined the radio station, which really helped me branch out.
With that, I even made new friends with the people next door. It started with passing snacks to each other, and now we go on late-night McDonald’s runs. I am so glad to have them in my corner now.
I thought I was so behind because I am not one to go out and party, which probably helps a lot with meeting people. But now I have a podcast with some of my favorite new friends.
We started to talk more, and I think it all brought something out in us that we may have been missing since we left home. The number of times we laughed and said “my tummy hurts” within a two-hour window should be studied. They truly have helped me come back after I felt like I had been lost. The only thing I regret is not talking to them sooner.
However, I can’t wait to spend the rest of these college years with them. I know I haven’t been here very long, but I already know these will be the people I’ll always want to be around.
College is different than high school, and I am so glad it is. There’s always going to be evil people who want nothing but the worst for you. But right here, there are also people who want nothing but to see the best from you. Not just from you as a person, but from your career and your work. And that is something I have always wanted to have. This is the start of a new chapter, and one I hope is really long, so I never get to stop reading it.