I spend a summer fretting about what my college experience would bring me. I moved into my dorm room, met my roommate (and then another), befriended the girls on my floor, experienced my first college classes, ate way too much in the dining courts, braved the cold Indiana winter while walking to class, and met some wonderful (and not so wonderful) people. I laughed, I cried. I wanted to pull my hair out sometimes, and I wanted to slap some sense into a lot of people. I embarrassed myself more times than one human should, and I danced at more dance parties (and not dance parties) than I can say. I gained a lot, and I lost a lot.
It's been a year. I have no idea where that time went. But in that year, I learned a lot. Things about the world, things about people, things about myself. ("Cut the sentimental crap, Kasey," said the impatient blog reader. "No," said Kasey. "I'm being serious here. Sorry 'boutcha.")
So, without further ado, the list of things my first year of college taught me, in no particular order:
1. Every day brings something new and different.
2. Homesickness is real, and it sucks.
3. Time flies, whether you're having fun or not.
4. They say you make your best friends in college, but some of my best friends are still from back home.
5. Being sick in college is 10x worse than being sick back home.
6. You need a good set of shoes (and a bunch of pedicures) for all the walking you do on campus.
7. Ice cream is the worst temptress.
8. All the hard work you do in high school truly pays off.
9. Dance parties are SO much better in college.
10. There are so many opportunities-take advantage of them early!
11. You'd think the instructors at a place of higher education would be outstanding...not the case. My professors this year got nothin' on my teachers from years past.
12. Naps can be the best things in the world.
13. Be thankful for not having 7:30 classes.
14. Free stuff is your new best friend.
15. Not having a car is quite the adjustment.
16. Living in residence halls is nowhere near as bad ad people make it out to be.
17. You learn a lot about yourself in college.
18. Your morals and values can be difficult to maintain when surrounded by others who do not share the same ones.
19. Having an open mind is crucial.
20. Getting packages and letters from family and friends can make your day.
21. Music preferences can expand to include genres you previously despised (dubstep, electronic, etc.).
22. Freedom is incredible, as long as you're responsible with it.
23. Life goes on, even when the good shower breaks.
24. Lofted beds are a pain in the butt. And it hurts when you trip and fall out.
25. Having random roommates is quite the experience.
26. Some of the most fun things happen late at night, and spontaneously.
27. It really is okay (and maybe even better) to be single your first year of college. You have to much else to figure out.
28. Trips home to see family, and their trips to see you, are wonderful.
29. Goodbyes are the absolute worst.
30. Your family seems so much more important when you're away from home.
31. Your high school accomplishments don't mean as much when you get to college.
32. There isn't much room to store excessive crap in your room...and it's a pain in the butt trying to move it back home at the end of the year.
33. Purchase a warm winter coat.
34. It's good to get off campus sometimes.
35. It's REALLY hard to find alone time.
36. Write down your experiences so you don't forget them later.
37. It's okay to do things you wouldn't normally expect yourself to do.
38. Always go to dance parties.
39. Get as many scholarships as possible. Seriously.
40. Go to class. But also skip just so you can say you did.
41. Do things outside of your comfort zone.
42. Doing laundry in the res. halls is loads of fun...said no one ever.
43. Keep a list of things you want to do/accomplish while at school.
44. You can make new friends at any time of the year.
45. I was always so uptight about grades in high school, but relaxed a little in college. Still got a 4.0.
46. It's quite easy to be animal deprived. I missed my cats...
47. Sometimes you need a good cry.
48. It's okay to act silly and weird...you're in college, people can't judge you.
49. Make sure you love what you're doing.
50. I can't wait to go back next year!
There are so many more things I learned, but I'm pretty sure you don't want me tell you about magnetic forces that I learned about in Physics or about phonemes from Linguistics...
Here are some pictures from our photoshoot/the last day of school:
Fo' Flo' Hos!
Imma miss this goofball next year
Roomies!
So what's up for me this summer?
I'm leaving to study abroad in Honduras on Sunday and will be back on the 30th! Then I'll be babysitting for the rest of the summer, as well as visiting a few friends/friends visiting me. Hopefully going to see Christian in Colorado in July! But also studying my math book so I can try testing out of the last semester of math :/
I'd like to continue the blog for the summer, but we shall see if I have time for that. It will for sure be back in the Fall!
I'd just like to thank you all for your continued support, both of me and of my blog. I love knowing that people are reading it and that they actually care about what's going on with this crazy kid! I'm so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. THANK YOU!
Happy summer!!
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