I am writing this now as an upcoming sophomore at The Ohio State University. My first year of college has taught me many new things about myself and has also changed me as a person. I also learned more about others and what it means to be a real friend. I did not think that going from high school to college was going to be a big transition, but I was wrong. Living in a dorm, without my parents, with a roommate I had just met, and on a giant campus, everything had changed. I didn’t even know where the dining halls were the first week, but I didn’t let my fear stop me from having fun and making many new friendships. I realized I had found some of my closest friends in the first couple of weeks of the semester. Classes were different, and being in a giant lecture hall with 600 people was a bit intimidating at first, but after a while, I got used to it. I had to work harder and study more to get good grades, but I learned that quickly. My major changed, from Biology to Neuroscience, and I have had so many opportunities to learn more about the medical field. I think living on my own has made me mature, academically, and personally. I have learned how to be there for my friends and to know that even when my life is filled with negatives, it won’t stay that way for long. This year in college may have started out bad, but in the end I met my best friends who have made my life so much better. It was sad that my first year of college got cut short, but I made the best of it and I am just thankful that my relationships with my friends and family have stayed strong throughout these times. I am so excited to come back in the fall, I get to live with my friends, and start taking classes that are super interesting. I miss the feeling of being on campus and being in a community. OSU has made me feel like I belong somewhere and I am thankful for this opportunity every day.