With two weeks left of my first college semester, I realize how fast time has gone by. I have already experienced so much this semester, and I am grateful for my time at this wonderful university. I was hired by the on-campus student newspaper, and my knowledge of journalism and human interaction continues to expand with each day.

I find myself less nervous to approach people, and my overall confidence has grown tremendously. Being so far from home has allowed me to create myself apart from family and develop a better understanding of my self identity. However, I am excited to go home for the break and spend quality time with friends and family.

November was a very busy month for me. I spent my time studying for classes, going to various sporting events, building relationships, developing good habits and planning for the future. I also had to learn about confrontation and standing up for myself, even when it is the difficult thing to do. College offers valuable and practical life lessons through experience, and I am thankful for all the lessons I have been learning.

​At times, the amount of activities I became involved in seemed overwhelming, but despite that, I would not change a thing about the month. Some of my favorite moments of November include attending a live taping of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," meeting new and interesting people through newspaper interviews, exploring my new city and visiting the ice rink to figure skate for the first time in seven months.

This has been a semester of growth, and I look forward to the semester to come. I am taking every opportunity I can to learn something new.

-Meghan Holland

"The thing about chaos, is that while it disturbs us, it too, forces our hearts to roar in a way we secretly find magnificent." -Christopher Poindexter

It has been awhile since I have posted a blog because life has been both chaotic and beautiful. This year has been full of growth and new understandings, and I look forward to what is to come. I am six weeks into my senior year of high school and six weeks into my sophomore year of college, which may sound confusing, but it just implies that I am a concurrent student. As a matter of fact, I will have my associate's degree two weeks before I get my high school diploma. This is an amazing opportunity for me to be able to accomplish everything I want to, and for those who know me well, it is clear that I have an abundant amount of aspirations for my life. Even just last night I was talking to my mom about how I wanted to be a part of two different internships, three jobs, a new program for the local hockey team that a friend and I came up with, and of course my high school and college classes... but alas, I have to prioritize my activities, and school is currently at the top of that list.

With senior year underway, I have been working on college applications almost everyday, which, depending on the day, may entail college research, writing essays, applying for scholarships, comparing costs, talking to admissions counselors, submitting my actual applications, etc. I have a pretty good idea of my top five colleges, but distance, community, and scholarships will affect where I decide to go in the end. College sounds so exciting, but at the same time a little scary. Although I attend a community college and go to campus for classes and activities, it will still be a big change for me to leave town and live on campus of a university,

Life keeps me pretty busy, and I am thankful for it. I have exciting things planned for my senior year, but I will talk about those things closer to time. For now, I should get back to those college applications!