Freshman Year: A Look Back

Will Luther

Freshman

Spartanburg, SC

As the year comes to a close and I start to prepare for finals and pack up my dorm room, I can't help but to think back throughout the course of the year. I arrived on campus for the first day of orientation, not knowing anyone really (yes there were the people I went to high school with, but I wanted to avoid them for the most part, lol). As I unpacked my boxes and got settled into my dorm room, my home away from home, I couldn't have been more excited. College was representing a new chapter in my life, a new start, and I was ready to grab the bull by the horns. Orientation continued until the start of classes, and as it did, I began to meet tons of new people and quickly became great friends with them. With the start of classes brought a whole new since of independance.... no one was goining to remind me that assignent was due and mom wasn't there to check up on my work once a week. That thought in itself was scary and exciting all in one.

As first semester got into full swing, I sometimes felt as if I was drowning in my school work. I soon realized time management was key. As I started my work on the fall drama production at SMC, I begin to figure out how to manage my time correctly and not a moment too soon, only a month left in first semester. The time flew, and before I knew it I was taking my first semester exams and going home for Christmas break. "First semester was a learning experience." That is what I told anyone and everyone that asked me how my first semester in college went. The truth is I loved college, I was meeting new people and trying to stay on top of my studies, but unfortunatly when I recieved my first semester grades they were less than impressive. So I told my parents, "I will try my hardest second semester."

Over Christmas break I got to go out-of-state to visit some great family friends, and then I went on the SMC ski trip to receive one of my PE credits. The trip was so much fun, and I had a blast without injuring myself. In mid-January I loaded up everything I had taken home over Christmas and made my way back to my second home. As everyone got back to school and started to catch up, classes got started. Here I was sitting in my first class of the new semester with a determined mindset that I was going to use second semester to boost my less that wonderful GPA. It was time to buckle down. As the first few weeks of second semester passed by, I started to notice some of the close friends I made during first semester start to change and drift away. I miss them and still care about them, but maybe it wasn't meant for us to be attached at the hip. Being involved in the drama department here at SMC, I decided to bury myself in my creative work. I had been askd to design the set for the spring production, and I took on the task and for the better half of two weeks, thought of nothing but my classes and designing the perfect set. In my eyes, I accomplished the mission.

At this point during second semester, I was doing pretty fair in most of my classes and had started the construction of the set while trying to stay attached to the friends I had. Before I knew it...SpRiNg BrEaK!!! I say it like I went to Daytona Beach and had a blast, lol. I went somewhere better in my eyes, I got on a plane and flew to Wisconsin to see some wonderful friends, who might as well be family. I had a BLAST!! After I spring break was over, I got back to SMC with a renewed state of mind. I was ready to finish the school year strong. I had the spring production coming up, as well as pre-registration for the fall. I am happy to say that the spring production went well, and I succesfully got registered for my classes for next year. I was now ready to bring the end of the semester home.

As finals' week quickly approches and my time as a Spartanburg Methodist College freshman departs, I can't help but think of all the wonderful people I met in my first year of college, not to mention the encouraging faculty and staff members I met. I can truly say I am ready for summer beak, but I am equally as ready to come back to SMC in the fall to see what my sophomore year here has in store for me.