As my freshman year is coming to an end, I have caught myself reminiscing about every little detail. In August, my parents practically had to drag me out of my house to get me here. Now, as move-out is approaching, they may have to drag me out of my dorm to get me to leave.
During freshman year, you grow apart from some of your hometown friends, the ones you swore you wouldn’t drift from, and you grow closer to the others through the distance. You also go through quick friendships each semester and gain some lifelong ones. No matter where I am, school or home, I am always going to have people I miss, and I am actually so grateful for that.
The first week of my first semester, I was terrified. My only friend for a while was my roommate, but I think that is when we had some of the best times.
We learned a lot about each other in the quiet moments, late-night talks, all the shared snacks, hometown lore, campus celebrities, and laughing over things that weren’t all that funny. Slowly, all the unfamiliar faces became familiar.
The girl I met at orientation became one of my best friends, my neighbors started to hang out with me and my roommate, and eventually these people became friends I couldn’t imagine days without. Somewhere between the awkward introductions and group chats, I found a sense of belonging I thought would never come.
There were obviously hard days, too. Days, I questioned if I made the right decision to be so far from home. But those days made the good ones feel so much brighter. The spontaneous late-night drives, random coffee runs, and the feeling of walking across campus and recognizing more faces than strangers were all moments that made St. Bonaventure start to feel like home.
Freshman year taught me more than what was written on the 12 syllabi I had this year. It taught me how to be independent, how to ask for help, and how to be okay with not having everything figured out. It showed me that growth isn’t always comfortable, but it is always worth it.
So this is my love letter to freshman year: thank you for the memories, the lessons, and the people. Thank you for pushing me out of my comfort zone and showing me parts of me I hadn’t discovered yet.
I came to St. Bonaventure unsure and very afraid, and I am leaving this year more confident, more open, and eternally grateful.