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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MSU chapter.

As my first semester of college comes to a close, I wanted to reflect on some of the highs and lows that it has brought me!

One of the things that I am the most proud of accomplishing this semester was getting a research job! About halfway through the semester, I decided to reach out to four professors to see if I could do anything for them. To my surprise, I was offered a position of some sort from all four of the professors! I have been working for about eight weeks at my current job, and I love it! It has made me feel like every day is productive as long as I go there. I also enjoy learning in my role, whether it is about python scripts, precision agriculture, or anything else!

One of the lower moments of my first semester has been enduring the treacherous rainy day walks to class. It feels like these past few months have brought the most rain that I have ever experienced in Michigan. Rain or shine, I began to walk to class because  the thought of being late to a class because of taking the bus scared me. The cold, windy, and rainy days had me questioning if I was ever going to make it to my classes at all. My first umbrella was not very kind, as it would continually flip inside out. 

On the other hand, the people that I met this semester have made all the difference. In the past, I was afraid of my ability to make new friends in college. To all those who may feel the same way, it will all work out! I made friends who make me excited to go to my classes to see them. I also made friends who push me out of my shell to live a little in addition to excelling in my education. It truly is as simple as sitting next to someone on the first day of classes and introducing yourself. Many people that I met on the first day of my classes are still some of my go-to people on the last days of the semester. 

One last moment that I wanted to reflect on still surprises me when I think about it. One day, I was rushing to lock my dorm room and somehow bent my key in the process! I was able to bend it back, and it still functions as good as new, but it was so shocking. This may not have been my best moment, but it is definitely a core memory of my first semester in college!

All in all, this has been an excellent first semester. I feel that this year as a whole has brought me an abundance of personal growth, and I could not be more thankful. For now, I will deeply enjoy my few weeks off before jumping right back into it all for semester two! Thank you, Michigan State University, for becoming my second home.

Allison Diebol is an active writer for HCMSU who is also involved with their social media accounts. This is her first semester writing for Her Campus, and she couldn't be more excited! Diebol is a freshman at Michigan State University actively deciding between studying astrophysics with a minor in computational mathematics, science, and engineering or data science. She is a National Merit Commended Scholar in addition to the five AP Scholar Awards given to her by her high school teachers - Environmental Science, English Language, Calculus BC, Computer Science Principles, and English Literature. She was an avid science enjoyer in high school receiving multiple awards for her Science Olympiad events. At her senior honors convocation, she was also granted the outstanding chemistry and mathematics & computer science awards. At MSU, she is involved with the thrift club, women in computing, society of physics students, and the society of women in space exploration. Diebol loves thrifting and crafting - frequently finding herself making jewelry in her dorm. She is also skilled in color guard, performing competitively since 2017, being a two-time state champion, and even competing in a World Class team over the summer! You can often find her walking in nature or dancing near a disco ball!