Just like that… I am finished with my first year of college. As I reflect on the whole experience, I could not be more happy with the person I have become and the things I have learned. Moving to the big city of Chicago changed me in ways I never could have planned for, and I am so grateful for the experiences I have had.

I believe the greatest thing I took away from my first year of college is my sense of independence. I have always thought of myself as independent, but living without the direct influence of my family really forced me to think on my feet and tackle decisions in my own way. I figured out how to solve problems I had never faced and cope with unfavorable situations, all while being away from the comfort and familiarity of home.

I truly became my own person. I didn’t have to ask my parents before going out somewhere. I did not have a curfew I had to be home before. I fell in love with this newfound freedom and welcomed the responsibility that came along with it. I also started to develop my own insights into living life independently: how to have fun, build relationships, and also find time for advancing both academically and professionally.

I would like to share these experiences and tips here today. College is such an amazing time, and I sincerely hope my reflection enables you to make the most of your experience.

Put yourself out there

I considered myself an introvert before coming to college, but I feel that I’ve become significantly more extroverted since then. I had two roommates, so it was not often that I had the room to myself. Even when I did, I couldn’t be by myself for too long before wanting to go out and do something.

Meeting people in college is so exciting because everyone has such different backgrounds and achievements, along with a unique approach to life. I have met students who have started businesses, traveled abroad, and speak a variety of languages. There is nothing more invigorating than experiencing something new through the eyes of someone else.

This semester, I put myself out there by competing in a business case competition. I joined a group of three other students I had never met before and learned about an industry I knew absolutely nothing about: car insurance. I ended up at the library until 2 a.m. on multiple occasions, road tripped with a team member to visit the company’s headquarters, and learned a ton about group dynamics and collaboration. I do not think my high school self would have done something like this, but it was such a refreshing experience. It took a great deal of courage and risk, but it paid off in the form of newfound self-confidence and relationships.

Finally, I reached out to several businesspeople and professionals throughout the course of the year. This resulted in many new connections. I find great joy and inspiration from talking to people about how they got to where they are today. These various encounters are among the best conversations I’ve had.

Be spontaneous

As cliche as it sounds, live in the moment. It is so easy to get swept into the same schedule, same routine, same everything. Soon enough, life becomes monotonous and utterly uninspiring. I experienced a rut like this when I returned to school from winter break. I struggled to find inspiration, feeling stuck and trapped in my own habits. It also didn’t help that the winter weather was blisteringly cold and gloomy.

When I get in a rut, I turn to my friends. Here is a list of all the spontaneous things I took part in my freshman year. They are among the moments that I treasure most from my first year of college:

• taking pictures in front of artistically decorated walls around the city
• hanging out on the beaches of Lake Michigan when it was still warm
• getting interviewed by a Chicago news reporter
• watching an episode of the TV show Empire being filmed in the city
• mimicking the poses of statues at the Art Institute with my friends
• being asked to record a man’s proposal to his fiancé while ice skating at Millennium Park
• riding the CTA Holiday Train
• visiting my roommate in Charleston, SC for spring break
• venturing up to a hotel rooftop and viewing the green river on St. Patrick’s Day
• bike-riding along Lake Shore Drive
• buying tickets to my first Cubs game the night before
• eating lots and lots and lots of deep dish pizza (Giordano’s is the best!!)

Try new things

Not everything you try is going to necessarily manifest into something beneficial or enjoyable. However, every experience has some glimmer of value to it. I tried out for the club frisbee team my first week of college after becoming aware that frisbee was a competitive sport. To put it shortly, even though I played volleyball and basketball in high school, I did not find success in my frisbee endeavors. BUT, I did end up meeting one of my best friends in college through it all.

Secondly, I recently attended a leadership conference focused on the field of finance. Although I am certain I want to pursue business, I am not entirely sure what facet of business. Being introduced to the world of finance, something I knew nothing about prior to the conference, was a great way to gain perspective on what I want to do moving forward.

Relationships are so important

Living away from home is not easy. Not only was I separated from my family, but I was also maintaining a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend. All of this along with meeting new faces and building friendships was honestly quite difficult to balance at times.

Sometimes I succeeded, sometimes I failed. In some cases, I would prioritize going out with friends over maintaining a healthy relationship with myself and my personal needs. I learned that it is okay to be honest when you need alone-time. This was an especially difficult but important lesson for me to learn, especially when sharing a single room with two other roommates.

The point is, people are understanding. If they aren’t, then they probably shouldn’t be in your life. Foster the relationships with people who care about you and inspire you to be a better person, and don’t lose touch with those who prove to be there when you need them most. Make time for people who go out of their way for you, but also make time to pursue new people and relationships.

Confidence is key

No one ever has it all together. I don’t care how good they are at pretending, we all fall apart at one time or another and are unsure about how to put life’s pieces together. The key is to have confidence when tackling the situations thrown before you. I put myself in a lot of scenarios that were out of my comfort zone this past year from career fairs, to business socials, to other events where I knew absolutely no one.

The bottom line is, people are drawn to confidence. Remind yourself that you are strong, beautiful, and talented. You deserve to be exactly where you are. Stand tall and own every room that you walk into. Your drive and dedication has allowed you to be there in the first place. No one has to know you are utterly terrified on the inside. Be brave, and most importantly, tell yourself you got this. When no one else is there to give you a pep talk, you have to take on that role yourself.

Eating healthy is hard

Let me tell you, the freshman fifteen is a very real thing. From my experience, the dining hall is not entirely to blame. Rather, living in Chicago with the plethora of restaurants, coffee shops, and dessert places made it extremely difficult for me to stay on track.

I still haven’t mastered the art of eating healthy in college, and that is something I am going to work on next year. I hope having an actual kitchen will help, but we’ll see haha.

Cherish every moment

Take lots of pictures to look back and laugh about, but don’t focus too much on it that you miss out on the experiences. As I mentioned at the beginning, college goes by so fast. It is crazy, stressful, fun, frustrating, and exhilarating all at once.

As sad as I am that my first year has come to a close, I can’t wait to continue my college journey. I look forward to making and documenting even more memories in the years to come.