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 Washington chapter.
Freshman year was a whirlwind. It flew by way faster than I could have imagined as a senior in high school. One day I was packing up my room at home, nervously buying things for the dorm, not knowing what was in store for me, and the next I’m gearing up for the last few weeks of school and moving out (let’s all hope we pass these finals!).
As an introvert, I remember vividly being so nervous to branch out and meet new people. Would they like me? Would I like them? How on earth do I find my people in a school that thousands of people attend? Everyone always says you make your life-long friends in college — the people that will be in your wedding, perpetuating the anxious thoughts I was feeling about finding my people in college. What I didn’t know was just how blessed I was going to be with the amazing friends I have met this year. The people that I was so anxious to meet would soon become such a beautiful part of my freshman year.
As I say a farewell to my first year of college, it feels only right to take a moment to celebrate the people who helped make my freshman year such a memorable one.
All of my memorable experiences this year were shared with my newfound friends. The late night talks with my roommate, the many many coffee and study dates with friends, and being able to spend day-to-day with them all were highlights of my freshman year.
Everyone knows just how stressful the college environment can be, especially as a freshman not knowing exactly what to expect. It is somewhat of an adjustment getting used to lecture halls, exam seasons, and the overall more difficult coursework. That coupled with the newness of college, the ending of your teenage years, and just trying to find your place in life can be a lot for an individual person to navigate on their own. Being in an environment where you’re surrounded by people all going through similar things, and building friendships through the community that college life brings lightens the load quite a bit. As someone who had somewhat of a tumultuous year, having people close in proximity that I could rely on and turn to will forever stick with me.
I just wanted to express my gratitude to the people who helped shape my freshman year, making this year such a good and meaningful experience for me. As freshman year ends, it’s a bittersweet goodbye to the lovely people I have met, but knowing that while freshman year is ending, the connections with my college friends are not.