Thinking about how I felt this time last year makes me smile. Exactly a year ago, I was confused, nervous, anxious and a little bit sad. Confused because I didn’t know where I wanted to go to college, nervous because I had no clue of what was to come, anxious because I was scared to leave my friends, and sad because my high school years were coming to an end.

But as the end of this year, my freshman year, approaches, I realize how truly (for lack of a better word) silly I had been. I really had nothing to worry about. Classes were hard, as I suspected, but manageable. Getting involved on campus was also very easy; UNH has a very warm, inviting sense of community, and there’s a place for everyone.

If I could go back a year and give myself some advice, I’d tell myself not to be so nervous about everything. Everyone is in the same boat; all freshmen go to college scared, confused and feeling slightly alone. No one realizes that everyone feels the same exact way, and I wish I had known that then; I wouldn’t have been so reluctant to break out of my shell had I known.

I’d also tell myself to be shy about nothing. Being shy gets you nowhere, but by being bold, you get wonderful opportunities and memorable experiences.

I’ve done many great things, met a lot of awesome people, and pushed myself more than I thought I could this year, but there are a lot of things I’ve realized I still want to do. Go Greek, go to more events on campus, and go to more sports games. I’m happy that I still have three more years to do everything on my college bucket list.