The first time I stepped onto campus at the University of New Hampshire I was ready for a whole new life. My veins were full of excitement and my head full of the many amazing possibilities to come. Right off the bat I met an interesting group of friends, to say the least. We did everything together. I don’t think there was a moment in the day when we weren’t making fun of each other, doing stupid things, or supporting each other like family. It was the most bitter sweet experience. We were so involved in each other’s lives, it was easy to forget about my own.
As much as I loved every minute of this, I got so caught up and lost a little bit of myself. I had never met people with personalities as loud and outgoing as the friends I had made. When something was on our minds EVERYONE sure knew it. This close-knit friend group slowly started to tear at the seams. We began going our separate ways, which was sad and disappointing. I think it took me the longest to catch my ground and leave behind the people who meant so much to me.
For a while I thought I was making a mistake, I thought I was leaving people behind who I wouldn’t find in again in this lifetime. Boy, was I wrong. As I tirelessly worked to keep my distance, I began to better myself. I focused on me. I focused on what I needed in order to be successful. And that’s when everything changed.
I embarked upon a journey of putting myself first. I was no longer tending to the needs of my friend group. I opened up this whole new door that brought me back to myself.
This didn’t happen until my second semester sophomore year. I don’t regret anything, or how my freshman year story developed, I learned so much. The experience helped me grow and taught me what I really wanted to gain from my four years at UNH.
I now live in my sorority house and I can honestly say it has changed me and my college experience for the better. I know everyone’s heard that being in a sorority “changes your life”, “you find your life-long friends”, “your bridesmaids”. I’m here to be honest with you. That’s all true. I’m so unbelievably happy living in a house with thirty amazingly crazy girls. Girls who make me laugh until my stomach is sick. I have never met a more incredibly loving group of girls.
Sometimes I think to myself that people are missing out, I want everyone to have the college experience I am diving into. Every semester gets better. If you are a freshman and your reading this and you don’t absolutely love everything about your university I’m here to tell you, that is OKAY. Don’t let anyone tell you that “If you don’t want to go back to school after break you picked the wrong school”. You don’t have to love your school the minute you get there. Everything is an adjustment. I’m only on my second year and the lessons I’ve learned and the friends I’ve made I wouldn’t trade for the world.
I continue to flourish and mature every day. I had to take some bumpy paths to get here. But that’s the great thing about college, you never know where it’s going to take you. You never know the opportunities that will present themselves. Be you, be crazy, be silly, be smart. Imagine the impossible. Lastly continue to grow and learn every day. Life begins when you step out of your comfort zone.