This year is the "next year" you worried about last year.

So you may want to ask me, "How does this year compare to last year's experience at Luther, Collin?" And if you don't want to ask me, that is fine, I will tell you anyway.

It is amazing how different of a place Luther seems once one year is through. The campus is no longer foreign at all, the flood of faces seen each day is full of familiar smiles, and living in the dorms seems pretty regular. Obviously I had some new adjustments this year; I have a new dorm, new roommate and a new schedule, but these were far easier after having the first year under my belt.

I must admit, at the end of last year, I was getting a bit burnt out with the whole college experience. I wasn't sure what I wanted to make of it, and wasn't sure if it was the right thing for me to be doing at this point in my life. However, I stuck with it (obviously) and I have a somewhat different attitude towards it now. I am still a restless individual, but I feel as though things have improved for me in regards to school.

One main contributor to this attitude is that I feel I have a larger impact on the campus community this year. I am leading a student organization, rather than just participating, I am meeting more people each day and taking part in various activities that intimidated me last year, and I just feel more at home among all the students here.

People kept telling me last year that freshmen year can be hard. It is not always easy for people to adjust, but everyone kept saying that sophomore year was so much better for them. I can now speak from experience that this is true in many ways. My first year was very taxing, I didn't know how to act or react to a lot of things that college life threw at me, but now it seems like I can take these challenges in stride with confidence and make the most of my time here. So anyone who is anxious about going to college, or is at college and is stressing about it, I will tell you this: I am a firm believer that college is not for everyone, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Some people will be much more productive and feel it is more beneficial to spend their time to do other things, and I totally respect that. But if you feel as though college is worth trying, go for it. And if it seems hard or not worth it, just give it some more time. You may end up feeling the same way I do now. So good luck.

Anyway, I hope I didn't scare anyone away, or make anyone uncomfortable, that is not in my intentions. Life is all about exploring; trying new things to find your place in the world. So I wish everyone the best, and you will hear from me again very soon!

Peace,

Collin