I heard people say that high school is the best four years of your life, but honestly, college provided that feeling for me. Despite the challenges I faced, including the search to find roommates as an out-of-state student the summer before freshman year, I've loved every minute of it. 

My time at Michigan State has not been easy, but I wouldn't trade it for another chance. The fact that it's coming to an end is surreal, but I'm glad that I'm leaving with no regrets. I don't regret changing my mind (again) about what I wanted to major in. I also don't regret taking an 8:00 a.m. biology lab my first semester here.

If you ask me, everything really does happen for a reason.

"College is where you'll find yourself."

I heard this a lot during my senior year of high school. I usually laughed it off, but part of me hoped it was true.

Before settling on pre-law, I probably changed my major 50 times. I wanted to be a software engineer, then an architect. But throughout high school, I always came back to sports journalism—a dream rooted in my love for writing and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

When I began searching for colleges, still hesitant about my major, one thing was for sure: I wanted to leave Tennessee. I heard MSU had a good journalism program, so on the list it went.

I toured Michigan State later that year, and immediately knew that I wanted to attend. I fell in love with how big the campus was, and thought, yeah, if I don't get lost walking to class, I might actually find myself here. 

When it came time to apply, I chose political science pre-law. Finding the right school helped me figure out what I really wanted to do.

That's how I ended up on the fourth floor of East Akers in fall 2023 with 18 credits and a gothic literature class on my schedule.

"A whole new world is waiting for you."

That’s what people told me when I said I was heading to MSU. With more than 50,000 students and 5,200 acres of campus, I hoped they were right.

I began my freshman year not knowing much, obviously. I had all the brochures with guidance on what to do, and even went to Sparticpation where loads of clubs and organizations awaited.

As classes began, I tried to find my footing as a student living 11 hours from home. CATA buses became the bane of my existence, Google Maps rerouted constantly and some of my classrooms didn’t even have working air conditioning.

As the months passed, I learned something new each day. I joined Empowering Women in Law, and the once-confusing routes to class became routine.

Sophomore year came quicker than I realized, and even though it was my second year on campus, there were still a lot of unknowns. This year I wanted to find more ways to get involved and explore campus even more—now that I knew I wouldn't get lost. 

My second year brought me to The State News office, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I also joined Future Leaders in Sports and Entertainment, combining my law school ambitions with my love of sports.

The year flew by, maybe even faster than freshman year. It brought tougher classes, long study nights and some professor experiences I’d rather not relive, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

"In the blink of an eye."

Sometimes it actually feels like I blinked once two years ago, and now I'm in my last year at MSU. The situations that seemed so worrisome on a random Wednesday afternoon five months ago appear minuscule now.

Time is something I’ve always tried to value and use wisely. But when everything starts happening at once, it can feel like there’s never enough of it.

Whether it was squeezing in meals between classes or trying to get to the gym after a packed day of Google Calendar tasks, I often felt like I couldn’t do everything I wanted to.

After semesters of experiencing busy days and packed schedules, the thing that helped me the most is slowing down and appreciating every day. That would be my best piece of advice. Taking my time every day helped me enjoy campus more. Trust me, the buildings on campus aren't running away from you, they've been there a while, you can get to it tomorrow. 

"Everything happens for a reason."

I used to think this was just an overused, inspirational quote that people tagged on to the end of any situation. But now, based on my time so far at Michigan State, I truly believe every word.

There’s a reason the 31 bus drove off just as I reached the stop. There’s a reason I slipped in the snow three times. Honestly, there’s a reason for everything.

Looking back, those first few weeks were rough. When I arrived on campus, I had no clue what I was doing. Now, I can walk any sidewalk without thinking and name most of the buildings I once couldn’t pronounce on my tour.

Despite the craziness East Lansing has brought me, I'm glad 17-year-old me decided it was the right choice.