Don't let what other people think decide who you are. This semester has definitely been interesting to say the least, more than I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and experience life a little more. I feel like I grew a lot over the course of the semester and would not have acquired the skills I have today if I hadn't made the decisions and had the patience that I had throughout the semester. Throughout the semester I had to defend myself and learn to handle things in a more mature, time-bound way. Having the honor of playing at the collegiate level in the sport I love has helped me this semester in inexplicable ways. I remember leaving home before coming to college and telling myself that I wouldn't cry at all this year. No matter what, I won't show any signs of weakness, well it didn't take long the first night in residence, one of my roommates cried. This sealed the deal for me, I knew I didn't want to be that girl who cries when something bad happens or when something doesn't go right. I think it's my childhood that brings out the little empathy I have for other people, I haven't seen someone cry in almost 8 years, it's not something you do in my house. Seeing this girl cry made me want to be a stronger person emotionally. Even though my parents raised me to be tough and stand my ground, I knew that at some point this semester I would give in, I think I did in one of my basketball practices. I kept getting pointed out for doing something wrong, being a newbie sucks sometimes and it got to me, I kept swallowing the crying, but I couldn't think of why I wanted to cry. I stopped for a moment and tried to think, so I was messing up and getting picked on for the same thing, the same wrong thing, over and over again......middle of the paper...... I need to know when I have I am patient, my energy is available to make good things happen. I learned that patience must be cultivated and that good things take time. I believe maturing, growing, becoming self-aware is all part of the university experience. My growth and development are due to a wide variety of events and things. It doesn't matter where it comes from, it matters how I use it and put it into action. Whether it's my patience or time management skills, it doesn't matter. As long as I continue to grow in this way I will reach the right path. The past is the past and now I know I have to stop living in it because I can't change it. I know I can be strong and stand my ground, I know I can step out of my comfort zone and still be okay, and I know I can get through an entire year without crying because I have nothing to cry about. Being strong and ready is what the future will be like.