If you would have asked me in the beginning of February what I was going to learn during my spring semester, I most definitely would not have guessed Zoom. Unfortunately, we were all sent home only one month in to our second semester. After being home for two months with not much to do, I have had time to sit and reflect on my freshman year. I have learned many things during my college experience so far, but I did not realize much of it until I was stuck at home and all I had to do was think.

            The first thing I learned was to try and live in the moment. If someone asks you to do something, do it. I have wasted so many opportunities to make memories just because I felt like I needed to finish a homework assignment, or I felt like I would have rather went to sleep. It took me some time to try and live spontaneously because I like to have everything planned out. I am the type of person who likes to plan out what time I’m having dinner, what I am going to do that night, etc. College has taught me that, though cliché, you really only do experience college once, and now in our case, a much shorter experience.

            The next thing I learned was to appreciate the little things in life. I never thought I would miss my 10 am Dunkin runs in between my lab and chemistry class or walks to UDairy as much as I do right now. Instead, during my Dunkin runs I would always be complaining about how I didn’t want to go to my next class. When we will all be able to go back to school, I know that I will be savoring every moment, no matter how pointless it may seem in the moment.

            Finally, the most important thing I learned was to be myself. I spent much of the beginning of the year trying to fit in with a certain group of people who I just couldn’t click with. It took me a few months to realize that I was not being myself, and I needed to reach out and find people I could be myself around. No matter how badly you want something, in the end it does not matter unless you are being yourself and you can look back and tell that you were genuinely happy during that time. Being true to yourself is the most important thing someone should focus on.

            Freshman year of college has taught me more than I would have thought. If it was living in the moment, appreciating the little things, or even being true to yourself, I never would have guessed this would be my takeaway from freshman year. I am grateful for coming to these realizations sooner rather than later so now I can put these things to use in my life.

-Grace Smithmyer