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Freshman Year Wrap-Up

Whew. And just like that my freshman year at the University of Arkansas is coming to a close. I thought I would spend this first post recapping all the craziness that has happened this school year.

So much has changed, but some things have stayed the same. I still wear khaki pants almost everyday (thanks Subiaco), but hey old habits die hard, right? But I will say I have had the courage to branch out from my worn-out brown dress shoes to a nice new pair of vans (I'm a rebel, I know right?).

I have enjoyed so much about this year. Late night trips to Whataburger and Taco Bell have sustained my "healthy eating habits." Mario Kart on the Gamecube kept me familiar with the kid I truly am and has caused more than enough anxiety about blue shells. Wednesday night Adoration at St. Thomas got me through what seemed like weeks that would never end. New York Times crossword puzzles filled our door throughout the year as we completed them. I think we ended the year with about 25 or so. New discoveries in Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino kept the hip hop alive in 626 (Brock and I's room number). Brock and I had plenty of fun referencing our "Roommate Agreement", a metaphysical entity we appealed to in order to justify our crazy antics in 626. "Fancy Toast" at the new Arsaga's let me feel sophisticated on a college student's budget. The "OMG Ashley!", a fine toast with a spread of nutella topped with sliced bananas and salt, was out of this world.

Of course I did study a little bit throughout the year. I did a tally of all the work I did through the year and this is the tally I ended up with: 29 exams, 28 quizzes, 12 papers totaling 100 pages of writing, and 3 presentations. It has been a busy year, but I have been stretched to become a better student. Ultimately, college has let me get closer to knowing who I really am. I entered college majoring in Engineering, but quickly came to the realization that that path was not for me. At semester I switched to a major in Math with a possible double major in Physics. With this change, it probably means I will be in school until the end of time, but at least I'll enjoy it right? This may not be the major I end up with, but it is closer to what is for me. I learned a lot this year: much of it useful, but some of it pointless. But such is life.

To all my friends, new and old, you guys kept me going, gave me enough laughs to get through this year.

I hope to use this blog to share my experiences in Rome this summer. The goal is to post once or twice a week to keep everyone in the US updated. I am beyond excited to experience the Italian life firsthand.

Until next time,
Jacob

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