Considering my last final of my first semester is tomorrow, I guess it’s time to review the experiences I’ve had so far in college.

First and foremost, I’ve made friends I can’t imagine myself without. I have a very special bond with the majority of the people on my floor… and my best friend Tyler’s floor. Those on Tyler’s floor have given me a nickname that I respond to faster than Amie. To them, I am “Lil Bit”, in part to my small stature. I’ve spent many hours sitting and watching my McCollum boys playing video games from Zelda to COD to GTAV to Madden and 2K. Have I picked up a controller? Absolutely not. I just like giving my two cents. I’ve slept several hours elsewhere than my bed (mostly the floor of McCollum). I’ve eaten thousands of calories of not-so-great food. I’ve dedicated hours to my wonderful internship that I love dearly. I’ve watched/listened to every Kansas football/basketball game.

You could say I had an eventful semester. I was elected social chair of my residence hall. I was sick from September to December. There were two trips to the emergency room. One of which was due to an apparent mini-stroke. The other? I’m still undergoing tests to figure that out. Before finals, my GPA was a 3.6. That took a lot of hard work. After finals? Hopefully it stays the same. The reality of it? We’ll find out. Everyone thinks I’m dying. Which, that’s probably true. Even so, I still made it to the majority of my classes and didn’t miss a test (even though I probably should have). The math TA’s didn’t exactly enjoy it when I threw up four times in the trash can.

If I had four words to describe my first semester in college, they would be: sick, sports, sleep, and studying. Oh look. They all start with “s”. I’m pretty smart.

Next semester, I won’t have the downtime to watch my McCollum friends play video games or sleep as much as I want to. I’m taking two more classes on top of the current load I had first semester, my internship turns up a notch on the intensity scale, I’m in a journalism program, and I have track. Who knows what else will fall into my lap? I’m excited to see what next semester brings me, but that is over a month away, and this break is definitely calling my name.