Reflections of Freshman Year

9 months ago, I was saying my tearful goodbyes to my family and friends, moving my belongings into a tiny (and pretty sketchy) dorm room, and starting a brand new journey with brand new people.

Then, I blinked.

And here I am, with two semesters of classes under my belt and what's been the most difficult and rewarding experience of my life so far. Or at least, it sure seems like it happened that quickly. Looking back on the past year, I'm amazed at how much I've grown in so many ways. Everyone told me that UNC Chapel Hill was one of the absolute best places to receive a high quality education. But you see, no one told me that I would learn so much more outside of the classroom than I could in any lecture hall. That's something I had to figure out for myself. 

I've learned how joyous it is to fall in love with my Savior and to pursue a relationship with Him because I want to - not because I know it's the right thing to do, but because I have a physical, spiritual, and emotional need to be filled with Him.

I've learned what it's like to be surrounded by authentic Christians - not the "Facebook Christians", self-righteous Christians, and Sunday morning Christians that I've previously dealt with. I spent the year with people who have no problem admitting their shortcomings and repenting for them, and we've all grown together as a result.

I've learned that natural intelligence only gets you so far. Hard work is most definitely essential to success. Unfortunately, I'm not lucky enough to breeze by in anything anymore; but it's so much more satisfying to reap the rewards of your efforts.

I've learned how awesome it is to have so many people who genuinely care for me, even though I really haven't known them all that long. This past year, the word "friendship" was completely redefined for me.

I've learned how it feels to take a huge risk on someone - a gigantic leap of faith - and have it completely backfire. More importantly, I've learned to be okay with that. 

I've learned just how essential my family is to my life and how incomplete I feel when I'm away from them. That being said, I feel so thankful to have an unwavering and infallible support system that's always there when I need it most.

I've learned how incredibly lucky I am to have the opportunity to sit up til the wee hours of the morning pulling my hair out over an assignment, the chance to take those God-awful finals, and the resources to make my dreams come true. 

I've learned how great it feels to prove people wrong.

Don't worry, the time I've spent in the classroom has been more than rewarding. I've learned about cellular respiration and genetics. I've learned about statistical significance testing and retrograde motion of planets. I've learned about narrative discourse and the VSEPR theory. But all of that pales in comparison to what I've experienced.

I've experienced love. I've experienced joy. I've experienced passion. I've experienced courage and strength and determination.

And I have a feeling this is only a taste of what's yet to come in the next three years.