Not to state the obvious or anything, but this is my last column of this semester. My tradition at the end of semesters is to write a highlight reel. I am a fan of tradition, and so I am going to stick with it.

The beginning of the semester marked my final year of college. But, before the first day of school, I got to go visit Mount Rushmore. It was incredible. Going there was on my bucket list. Those four giant heads gazing across the rolling black hills is a shot of patriotism I think everyone needs.

Starting school was tough, because I spent most of the summer participating in awesome videos by Studio 76 (you can see all those videos on their YouTube channel, youtube.com/wsustudio76; it’s their 14 Weeks playlist). School, work and more work made my life hectic. Because of the craziness, I made sure to take time out of my schedule for me.

The best of these times includes when I went to the SafetySuit and Go Radio concert back in September. My friend Amy Lano and I actually got to meet SafetySuit and were front row at the concert. I got tossed two guitar picks, one from each band. Since I love both these bands, it was a very epic night.

Shortly after that was the opening day of the duck hunt. It was on that day that I shot my first duck. Actually, my first kill was two birds with one shot. I do have a witness, if you don’t believe me.

Later in October, my brother and I made an awesome video called “Will a Textbook Stop a Bullet?” We had a lot of fun making it and, just so everyone knows, a backpack with a laptop, three textbooks and a binder in it will indeed stop a bullet.

The election would be the next mentionable thing. I was not able to vote when President Obama first got elected. This time, I was excited to just vote in an election, but there was an added twist. I was a reporter covering the election. I had to look at the election from a different perspective.

Just like any other semester, I’ve had friends come and go. Everyone says drama is just a high school thing. Guess what — it’s not. Drama will follow most people forever, whether it’s work, friends, dating and relationships, or family. This semester, I have learned that if someone feels like a waste of time, they probably are. I’ve learned this semester if the relationship takes more work and stressful than is enjoyable, you should probably just move on.

I’ve never been able to let things go. I usually hold on to things and let them fester inside of me until I have a breakdown. I made some mistakes this semester. I was ridiculed and embarrassed for those mistakes. For the first time in my life, instead of holding a grudge and being grumpy about it, I let it go. It wasn’t right away. The wound was still fresh, but I let it heal. I learned from it, let it go, and moved on.

I’ve had a great semester. I’ve made some great memories and grown up just a little bit more. I am excited the semester is over. I think the entire month of December, I am just going to catch up on all the books I’ve let collect dust on my shelves and relax. Hopefully you all enjoy your Christmas break, and I will see most of you in the spring. To those of you graduating, congrats and good luck with the rest of your life.