Freshman year can be an exciting thing. New environment, new people and new types of classes. I’m 19 years old and moved here three years ago from Texas. Just as I was getting used to the high school kids up here, I’m thrown into another new world – college.

I don’t expect to play heads-up seven-up or any name learning activities my first day. As much as I want to learn everybody’s favorite color or their first pet’s name, I’m more excited to get a start on my future and what I want to do with my life. But just so you don’t have to ask me, my favorite color is pink and my first pets name was Trixie.

My family is swarming me with questions like: “What are you nervous about?” And “Aren’t you so excited?” Yes, so excited to write 20 page essays and forget about sleep, who needs that anyway?

I’m starting to wonder if one of them is going to pack my lunch too, since it seems like they’re more excited about  it than I am. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited, but since I’ve moved around all of my life, I feel like I’m just doing it all over again. Another new  beginning in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar faces – all I want is to do well in class and meet new people.

I’ve heard a lot about college, I’m sure we all have. Everywhere from the freshman 15 to the “MATC Confessions” page on Facebook. In response to the freshman 15, I was eating ramen and Mac n cheese before college, but maybe that’s just a Texas thing.

Walking around campus, I’ve noticed college kids are pretty focused on their own things. I’m trying really hard to walk fast and look nowhere but forward with a blank expression, but it’ll take some getting used to. I can’t help but wonder if it’s the same in Texas where several of my friends are going to school.

That said, I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life. I’m just hoping for an eventful year, great teachers, good grades and most of all memories.

There are still so many Wisconsin adventures I haven’t conquered such as snowmobiling, skiing, or going to a water park (how is that a Wisconsin thing anyway?). Lucky me, I get to write all about my adventures all semester. Lucky YOU, you get to read my embarrassment. So here’s the deal, I need you, the readers, to come up with several suggestions that I need to do, one for every issue. Send your ideas to The Clarion Facebook page. We’ll take it from there. See you in the next issue.