One year down, three to go...

Well, I have completed my freshman year of college, and I have learned a few things in the process, and I figured I ought to share.  While these are not all the lessons I have learned, here are a few of the more important things I have learned from the best year of my life.

Go in Positive

So, you didn't end up at your first choice college.  Neither did I!  But after one year, I know I'm where I was meant to be.  If you go into your college career thinking about how much you wish you were somewhere else, how can you expect to have any fun?  This is not to say that you have to stay wherever you end up your freshman year, if you give yourself a semester (and yes, I'd say a semester at minimum) and you still don't like where you are, or if you realize it's not where you want to be, that's perfectly fine!  Transfer!  Don't make yourself miserable!  But if you're only miserable because you have some pre-meditated idea of what college should be, you aren't doing yourself any favors!

Essentially, that which is for you will not pass you by.  So make the most of it!

High School is NOT the End-All Be-All of Even Your Young Life

Okay, so while you were in high school you felt that if you weren't Student Council President all the world would come crashing down on you, that your B+ in Bio would be the death of any future you hoped to have.  You felt like you didn't fit in and straight up disliked most of the people you went to school with.

None of that matters, really.  Not once you're in college.  You meet new people, you make new friends, or, if you're like me, you go to school where no one from your high school has ever gone.  But even my roommate, who went in state to the school where most of the people from her town went to college, still made brand new friends and doesn't hang out with the same group she did from high school.

Sure, I have friends who both go to school in the same city and still make sure to see each other on the reg, but that's your choice.  You don't want to remember high school?  You really don't have to.  That's the magic of starting over new.

Rush!

Easily the best decision I have made in my short college career was joining my sorority.  While, yes, Panhellenic Formal Recruitment was a week of hell and, I'll be honest!  I didn't end up in my top choice sorority.  But knowing what I know now, I ended up exactly where I needed to be!  Trust the Recruitment System.  Sure, it may seem crazy, but that complicated computer program totally knows what it's doing.

Granted, Greek life isn't for everyone, but if you're even the least bit curious, give it a shot!  It can't hurt to rush, and you just might find wonderful lifelong sisters (or brothers), and even bridesmaids (like I certainly have).

Your Friends Will Evolve

The friends you make your first week won't necessarily be the crew you hang out with for your entire college career.  I did meet some of my absolute best friends in the whole wide world in the first week, and my future roommate lived just down the hall from me, but some of the people I hung out with on a daily basis at the beginning of the year are people I now actively avoid.  And that's okay!  Friendships evolve!  And when you're living in extremely tight quarters, like a dorm, they evolve a lot faster than they did when you returned home after an 8 hour day at school.

College is a Lot Harder than High School

I'm not trying to brag, but I was virtually a straight-A student in high school and I was incredibly involved, holding officer positions in both Student Council and the National Honors Society, and I was a Theatre major!  I spend plenty of time working on shows!  I was never home, and I never studied.  But I still did really well on just about every test, and project, and essay.  If you're anything like I was, you probably think you can just ride through college the same way.

You are DEAD wrong.

College takes a lot more time.  You need to read everything on time, start your projects ahead of time, study more than you think you need to, and maybe you'll get an A.  Most of the time?  Probably a B.  Because college professors tend to actually subscribe to the idea that A is exceptional, B is above average, and C is average, as opposed to high school where a C was essentially a failing grade according to your counselor.

Don't Get Over Involved

You'll want to sign up for everything, I know I did!  But don't.  Just sign up for what actually interests you!  Sign up for activities and clubs related to your major, or related to your faith, or political persuasion.  But don't join or apply for things just to join, think about what you're committing your time to and really whittle your activities down.  You'll thank me later.

It's Okay to Change Your Major!

Sure, I've known exactly what I've wanted to do with the rest of my life since I was about 3 years old, but that's far from normal.  Many of my friends have changed their majors, sometimes multiple times, because they think they like something until they start taking the more advanced classes.  Or sometimes you learn about an opportunity you never even realized existed!  On that note...

It's Okay to Come in Undeclared!

Lots and lots of people come in to college undeclared, including my absolute best friend, and there is no reason to be ashamed.  There are so many majors and so many opportunities that you might not have ever known about before coming to college, so if you're unsure of what you want to do, why bother pigeon-holing yourself?

There's More to College Than Grades

I'm not saying grades aren't important, because they are.  And believe me, you realize just how important when they tank, but it's important to remember that college is your first time being a (semi) independent adult!  And lets be honest, what are you going to remember about college?  How much time you spent studying to get that A, or how much fun you had that time you went out your friends for late night nachos?  Of course, there's a balance to be had, and it might take a while to figure that out, but it's important to keep in mind that your personal success is such a small part of your life when you think about your relationships to others!

So go out, make new friends, embarrass yourself over that kid you have a crush on, and stay up until 3am on a school night watching movies with friends.  Those are the most important college experiences.

Always Be There For Your Friends

This should speak for itself, and it's something I think we all know deep down, but it's important to remember.  Whether they're crying over a crush, having the time of their life, or had too much to drink, it's your job to wipe their tears, celebrate, and hold their hair.  That's what friends are for.  And if they aren't there for you through all of this, how good of a friend are they, really?

and, finally,

Freshman Year is the Year to F' Up

Ever wanted to try ditching a class?  Freshman year is the time to do it!  Wanted to see how much you can drink before you vomit?  "Freshman!  Freshman!  Kegstand!  Kegstand!"  Curious about a DFMO?  Freshman year!

Be young!  Be wild!  You can't do these things at 25 without seeming lame!  So kiss lots of people, wear that revealing outfit, sleep in on your birthday!  Of course, stay safe, but if you're going to f' up, freshman year is the prime time to do it, because how responsible does anyone really expect an 18 or 19 year old to be?

On my 19th year of life...

This past Thursday I celebrated my 19th birthday.  Things got pretty cray, and I had a really great time, but it's also the beginning of a new chapter in my life, my 20th year.  So, rather than write about why I hate Valentine's Day, or about the Olympics, I figured a retrospective on this past year of my life would be more appropriate.

February 13th, 2013 I returned home from school to run over to 7/11 and buy myself some lottery tickets, and to my dismay, I was not asked for an ID.  That Friday I went to a Cutthroats hockey game with two of my best friends and received a message on the jumbo-tron from my family (a "trout out") before heading off to Sonic for tater tots, malts, french fries, and Disney tunes.  It was a great way to welcome myself into adulthood.  But a lot has changed since then, even in just one year.

I no longer live in Colorado, I now call Nebraska my home.  I no longer attend Denver School of the Arts as a high school student, I am a college student at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.  I am still a Theatre major, but I now officially have an emphasis on Performance and am pursuing minors in French and Film Studies.

I spent my last few months at DSA fairly miserable, nothing seemed to be working out for me.  I caught noravirus (the absolute worst day of my life), I wasn't cast in anything, and I felt like my senior year of high school was culminating in exactly the way I would expect my terrible 5 years at DSA to end, with me being on the outskirts of not only my major but of everything.

I began a job at a movie theatre near my house and found it to be the perfect summer job for me.  I got to see free movies, surround myself with other film fanatics, and spend all day helping people do my favorite thing: experience the art of film.

I went to Prom with my best friend in a gorgeous Calvin Klein dress I was able to purchase for myself (thanks to all my hard work).  It was a wonderful fancy night, and one of my best friends was voted Prom Queen!  I then went to StarFest with aforementioned best friend and also relaxed in the hot tub after killing our feet dancing in heels the night before.

I had my senior theatre banquet and finally got to give a tearful speech, thanking my wonderful family, my beautiful best friends, and those teachers that really did help me along my path as an actress.  I also had my graduation, which was an amazing day in my life.  I got to proudly wear cords for Thespian Society, Student Council (for which I served as Vice-President), Arts Endorsed Diploma, and the Harry Potter Alliance (which I co-founded), along with a cool National Honors Society collar.  I even received my diploma from one of my favorite teachers of all time, Mr. Hughes.  My graduation party was Hawaii themed, in honor of my birthplace, and I wore my mom's old hawaiian print dress and had some delicious POG.

I frequented The Church nightclub all summer with two friends, dancing all night long and becoming friends with the DJ.  I went to Denver Comic Con as my first full convention and spent hundreds of dollars of graduation money on all things wonderfully nerdy before going Sci-Fi Speed Dating and getting a couple of dates out of it.  I went and saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Red Rocks with two of my besties as a final goodbye before I headed off to Nebraska.

I went through Panhellenic Formal Recruitment and received a bid from Alpha Delta Pi and have joined an international sisterhood that I am so proud to be a part of.  I began my life as a college student, making friends, living in a dorm, meeting frat boys, hanging out in the lounge, and of course going to classes to study my love, acting, and also the dreaded ACE (gen ed) classes.  I went to every home game for the Huskers thanks to the season pass my mom's friends got me for a graduation gift and tailgated with my cousins and sorority sisters.

I went back home to see my little sister in Beauty and the Beast, the all-school musical at DSA and also got to go a Broncos game.

I went to my first ever sorority formal, we were grouped with Theta Phi Alpha, Beta Sigma Psi, and Acacia.  While it was a bit of a cluster, it was a great bonding time with my wonderful sisters.  I was initiated into the Alpha Delta Pi sisterhood and met my wonderful big Diamond Sister.  Oh how I love the pin they let me wear.  <3  I got to welcome in the next Alpha Class to ADPi as a Delta (the Alphas from open rush) and it was delightful to greet so many wonderful new sisters.

I went back home for Thanksgiving and Christmas to my lovely family and even worked for a week during my Christmas break.

I then returned to college as a full-fledged college student, used to walking across campus despite the wind whipping my face and waking up early despite being up until 3am the night before.  I joined the staff for Seeds entertainment and am now an officer for my sorority.

And this all led to here.  My first birthday without my family.  But at least I had a great time staying up until midnight with friends to open presents, and then going out with friends to celebrate my birth.  While 19 doesn't mean much in most places, here in Nebraska it's the legal adult age, so it's my second birthday celebrating legal adulthood.  I can now buy lottery tickets here in Nebraska and sign legal documents for myself.  C'est la vie.

Anyway, a lot can change in a year, and this year was full of exceptional changes.  I only hope the rest of this year proves to be as amazing as I hope it will be.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!  I just started it kind of on a whim, but you can look forward to movie reviews, movie musings, and tales of my life's adventures.  So, what better place to start than on my life at the current moment?

I am a student at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, majoring in Theatre: Performance at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film.  I also hope to pick up minors in Film Studies and French.  I'm also a member of the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Alpha Delta Pi.  In addition to school work I spend my days watching movies, hanging out with friends, and discussing Oscar contenders.

I am currently in the middle of my annual quest to see every Best Picture nominee before the Oscars so that I can have well formulated opinions of almost all the categories (and for sure the main 6).  I am also on a quest to lose 40 pounds (and so far I have lost 2!) via dieting and exercise.

I'm the kind of person who goes through obsessions (with movies, television shows, celebrities, bands, etc.) and I am currently obsessed with Leonardo DiCaprio and the Oscar he deserves as well as the fantastic 1980s film Heathers.

Anything I left out?  Let me know in the comments!  I look forward to posting more (a planned minimum of 1 a week!)