I’m looking forward to a lot of things this semester. I have been home for winter break this past month, which is only about two and a half hours away from campus. Don’t get me wrong, I love being at home and spending time with my friends and family, but it was a weird transition after being so independent at school. When I first moved to FGCU, it was my birthday and one of my friends from high school that lives in Osprey wanted to take me to Publix to get a lottery ticket. My very first instinct was to text my mom, “Is it okay if I…” but then I hesitated. I guess I didn’t need to do that anymore.

So being home for so long, going back to asking if my boyfriend can come over, or making sure my plans don’t clash with the family calendar was an adjustment. At school, I have a shared calendar with my roommates in the common area, but of course, that’s different.

I have also never been away from my roommates for this long. Although I met these girls in person just six months ago, it feels like I have known them forever. I miss going to Sovi Dining with them to grab dinner or fighting over what songs to play in the car or going to Target practically every other day. They became my best friends and I’m really looking forward to spending every day with them again.

Other than my roommates, I also started to get closer to two girls in my Intro to Critical Race and Ethnic Studies class and I am very excited to continue building relationships with them and with others I’ve met along the way.

“This semester I’m really looking forward to all of the new events the programming board will be putting on,” FGCU freshman Hailey Gillis said.

At the same time, going back to school after being home for so long will be another big adjustment. I imagine it will feel a little like how it felt when I first moved in last Fall, with new classes starting and a whole new semester ahead of me. I have the opportunity to connect with new professors and further my education. I am also moving out of exploratory advising into the College of Arts and Sciences as a political science major. I am looking forward to diving into my major and everything in my advising department. Deciding on a major is a plunge so many here at FGCU are taking.

“I’m most excited to be able to start taking classes that go hand in hand with my major,” FGCU freshman Nicholas McClure said.

Obviously, I have a lot to look forward to this semester. FGCU has given me a lot of opportunities and I’ve done my bestto take advantage of all of them. The resources on campus help students to strive for a successful semester.