One year. That’s how much time has passed since the beginning of my first year as a college student.

One year. Sometimes when I think about it, it seems like forever ago. Other times, it seems like just yesterday that I was moving into my first college dormitory, eating in my first college dining hall, attending my first college classes and making my first college friends.

What? You can’t tell me you’ve never looked back and thought about your own first year of college. Take a trip down memory lane. Remember those crazy nights with all of your friends? The all-nighters? That class you thought would be easy that ended up consuming all of your free time? Even if you’re a freshman now, I’m sure you’re wondering about everything that will happen this year. If you’re anything like the average freshman, your mind is going in a thousand different directions.

After graduating from high school and stepping foot on a college campus hours away from home, I thought I was the cat’s meow. I couldn’t wait to get involved on campus, dive into my classes and hang out with my new friends. I had newly-found freedom to use my time the way I wanted.

Perhaps that’s one of the most important things to learn in college. Value your time. Think that sounds easy? Think again. With everything happening all around us, it’s easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of college life.

Last year, I signed up to attend organization meetings and activities faster than I could tweet about them. After finding groups that I could relate to, I found I could interact with new personalities, learn many new concepts and make my own foundation of memories.While I will certainly remember the fantastic times I have had, it’s the people with whom I spent time who have made all the difference. Roommates, friends and professors all made last year the most amazing year of the newest chapter of my life.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I got along with every single person I encountered during the year, but even those people taught me lessons that I’ll carry with me for a long time.

The people in my major, the people from my dormitory floor and the people I interacted with on a daily basis have all made a difference in where I am today. For that, I am thankful.

So here I sit writing this commentary, after only half of the first week of classes for this semester has passed.

While I’m still not exactly sure how I feel about some of my new professors and their need to assign homework during these first few days, I am sure about one thing: I’m going to make this the best year possible.

Sound cheesy? Maybe so. But I assure you it’s what I’m going to do. And I urge you to do the same.  Laugh a little. Cry a little. And, at the risk of sounding like one of my Facebook statuses, do what makes you happy. Make the most of your time here, whether you’re a freshman, junior or even a grad student.

Looking ahead, I’m still unsure of what this year will bring.  Maybe I’ll take a class that I really love. Maybe I’ll find spots around campus that I never knew existed. Maybe I’ll get more sleep, check Facebook less and not complain about my early morning classes.

Alright, maybe those last few are a little far-fetched. But you never know. And that’s the best part. Not knowing. Not knowing what exactly lies ahead.

One year. That’s how much time it took me to realize that these years are going to fly by and I’ve got to get the most out of the time that I have. One year.

Though it’s another page turned in my book of life, I know that these chapters won’t be ones I skim over lightly.  In fact, I look forward to highlighting a few of them.

Brianna Radici is a sophomore in the Doisy College of Health Sciences.