Finding My Place In College

This post is a bit more somber than I usually write, but I felt like I had to write about it. This weekend I accompanied a friend to the hospital. She had been drinking and had way too much. She ended up being ok and was driven home that night. These situations are completely terrifying for me to even think about. I'm a senior in college and she is a freshman. I hadn't been with her when she drank, I found her after. Amazingly, this experience was really eye-opening for me because I realized how lucky I had been my first year of college.

My roommate and I found each other through the incoming class of 2014 page on Facebook. We instantly connected by talking about our love for Harry Potter and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Although, we didn't always get along throughout the year, we understood each other. We became best friends through shared experiences and laughter. I had found a best friend at college who I am also living with this year, for our last year. I couldn't ask for a better roommate and friend.

Freshman year I was never peer-pressured to drink or do drugs. The first time I did drink in college was the first time I had ever drank and my friends respected that. It was just a small group of us. We stayed in one place. They took care of me and made sure I knew what I was doing. Therefore, my first experience with alcohol couldn't have been more perfect. It was low key and protected. And that shaped the rest of my experiences, I never was dangerously intoxicated. I never had to be in the hospital for myself. I owe all this to my friends and roommate. Without them I could have made bad choices, instead they taught me how to be safe. If there is only one thing that I will take away from college, it is that finding the right friends means everything. They really can help make your college experiences great and safe.

Thanks to all my friends freshman year and beyond who have made my college experience safe and taught me how to act in an emergency.