At Last, Here We Are

I find myself at the end. The end of freshman year of college, that is. It has been a long journey. I have changed a lot, I suppose. I guess if you've been keeping up on reading this blog you know that. I know it. For certain. It wasn't linear growth, that's for sure. But growth has happened. I can't say exactly what has changed. I'm certainly the same person. I'm just... several months older? But it's more than that. I have had so many experiences this year that have made me who I am today, consciously and probably subconsciously.

Here are some things I learned:

1. Do laundry on Monday mornings or Tuesday nights. Those times are consistently the least crowded. Wednesdays are pretty good too.

2. Befriend your roommate. It makes things easier. If you gotta sleep next to them, you might as well not have to worry that they are going to stab you in the night. Or what have you.

3. Make the best of the dorms. Decorate, make friends, relax. This is your home, make it homey.

4. Plan ahead so fun can be had. Get your homework down, take care of your responsibilities. Then when fun comes around you aren't stuck on a Friday night doing laundry because you don't have pants to go to that party.

5. Get advised, go to office hours, don't be afraid to ask for help. If you are lucky like me your adviser will be a super hottie. If you're really lucky, your professors and TA's will always be there for help. And if you ask for help, you will be one step ahead of your peers-- and you won't feel as overwhelmed after.

6. You are here to get a degree. I know that freshman year is to figure your shit out, but take it from me, once you DO figure out what you want to do, you are going to regret the time you have wasted. It seems impossible to finish my (hopefully) double major in the next two years. Fuuuuuuu--. Get on top of your shit. Now. Not later.

7. Join a community of people. I joined a writers collective and have submerged myself fully in that group of people. Without Manic Mouth Congress, and the people who take part in that group, I would be adrift. They have become a huge anchor for me, who is a bit lost in college life. If you guys are reading this, this is a specific shout out to y'all.

8. Take it one day at a time. College is hard. And complicated. LIFE is hard. LIFE is complicated. Break it down day by day and know that there is always tomorrow. Don't overwhelm yourself. It can happen easily. Don't let it get you down.

9. Read my blog. Ok, so this is purely selfish of me. I do want to amass a readership. So keep reading, share it on facebook, twitter, what have you.

I'm sure that there are THOUSANDS of other things but I have finals to study for and I don't have time to think of them ALL. Plus, I can't tell you all the secrets of life, you gotta figure this out yourself! I guess, that's a good note to end on. Go get 'em tiger!

Happy End of Freshman Year Everyone! Let's go finals! Bring me summer!