As my first year of college comes to an end, I still can’t believe all that has happened to me within just two semesters. As the days when I’ll finally become a sophomore and get an earlier registration time approach, I will definitely reminisce on my first year so much because it really shaped the person I am today.
Thinking about it now, I still can’t register that life is moving at such a fast pace. I still remember getting that acceptance letter from Drake University back in February 2025, not knowing how much my life would change.
Ever since welcome weekend, I knew Drake was the perfect place for me — I felt included. Though most of my hometown friends kept convincing me to stay and enroll at the University of Texas at El Paso, today, I don’t see myself anywhere else besides Drake; it’s really my home away from home.
Though I had this positive mindset coming in, I was nervous and thought I would be lonely for the whole year. Walking into my first lecture, everyone had someone to sit with, and I just sat in the very back, hoping someone would at least say hi to me.
It didn’t take long for these small moments to occur, like people saying hello to me in buildings or making small talk, because by week three, I had made so many connections.
I also find it crazy that I met all of my best friends because I work at Hubbell Dining Hall. My coworker really had such a beneficial ‘butterfly effect’ on my life just because we worked together. She is one person I can’t thank enough because all of her friends became my friends; she is just someone I can’t thank enough.
Some of my favorite memories here are just hanging out with those who make me feel seen and like I belong. I always tell them that I felt like we’ve known each other for 67 years because we clicked instantly. I’m happy every day because I know I’m loved.
I still can’t fathom how fast my first year went; it feels as if it went by faster than all four years of high school. I can’t wait to see what the rest of my time here will throw at me.
My first-year paved the way for my sophomore year, and it showed me I belong at Drake. I’m excited to finally become an adult and get ready for the real world, hopefully to become a better journalist.
