Congratulations freshmen, you made it through your first semester of college. How does it feel? Are you more mature? Do you feel like more of an adult? Over winter vacation, how did your family treat you? Were you treated with respect or treated like you never graduated high school?

“When I got home from school, I had a higher control of the decisions I decided to make,” said freshman meteorology major James Silverstein. “It made me feel more like an adult and I liked it.”

College is a life-changing experience, especially for freshmen. This is your first year away from home, and here you will learn more about yourself than you would have ever expected.

There is no mommy alarm clock or family laundry service anymore; it is time to grow up, whether you like it or not.

“College really hit me hard first semester,” said freshman undecided major Daniel Tucker. “After winter break my family motivated me to want to do better in school. They do so much for me, why shouldn’t I return the favor?”

In the end, you will always have your family, whether it is biological or a circle of close friends. This fact should be respected and cherished. Although there are disagreements at times, without family no one would be the person they are today.

“I will always be my dad’s daughter. I won’t be treated like a child but will always be their child,” said Lindsey Tucker, freshman hospitality administration major.

Besides the education factor in college, we have the personal maturity boost. Time management, good judgment and independence are skills that should be built throughout the school process.

“Going home really made me realize how much I appreciated my family’s time,” said Silverstein. “I got to see my cousins that I only see once a year and it was a good feeling to spend time with them. Everything was just a little bit more special.”

Now that the reality check has passed with first semester, freshmen have the chance to prove themselves as smart, appreciative and hard-working young adults.

“My parents trust my word,” said Tucker. “That was good for me to earn.”

No one is telling you what and how to live your life anymore, this is your chance to prove to yourself that what you’re doing is something to be proud of. There are millions of people that wish they were where we are now. College is a gift that should not be taken advantage of.

“Over the holidays my family would speak to me with a [bit] more respect than before,” said Tucker. “Seeing them and being with them made me wish I could stay longer than a month.”

Freshmen have been in college for just about five months, with a whole semester of college under their belts and now another five months to try to succeed. When summer vacation arrives, go home with a report card that will put a smile on you and your family’s faces, have a plan for your future and be excited to continue a college career next fall.