As I look back at my time at Ohio State, I have to wonder how four years could go by so quickly. It seems like only yesterday that I was unpacking my bags for the first time, a nervous kid uncertain about what lay ahead.

My roommates were strangers, as was nearly everyone else. I wasn’t even sure where High Street was.

But as time progressed, so did my understanding and expectations for the college I was so eager to attend — the place that, for four years, would become my second home.

Before long, I was able to establish my footing on campus, learn where things were located and adapt to the workload. But my first experience inside a classroom was anything but comfortable. Nothing the professor said made sense, and I was afraid that college might be miles over my head.

It was later revealed to me that the professor was actually speaking Spanish, which is probably what led to my confusion. That one class changed my outlook on the remainder of my college career. From then on, I thought, no matter how difficult a class might be, at least it would be taught in English.

Early on, whenever I wasn’t busy translating Spanish words to English, I was usually attending a sporting event. Sports have been a favorite pastime of mine since I was a young kid, and Ohio State can certainly provide entertainment in that department.

I attended everything from football to water polo. While there were a few disappointments along the way, they are far outweighed by the good — like the football team’s win over Iowa last year to secure a spot in the Rose Bowl, or the basketball team’s convincing victory over Wisconsin this year in the final game of the regular season. I have never heard the Schottenstein Center so alive.

Though these last few months have not gone the way I expected, I still cherish the opportunity to see some great athletes play on some great teams.

I have also enjoyed sharing my thoughts with the student body through my weekly columns. I appreciate all of my readers and their feedback, even those whom I may have upset along the way — and there have been a few.

But as time goes by (more quickly each year I have noticed), and I look back at the best memories from this place, they will not be about sports or classes or my columns or even graduation. They will consist of all the great people I have been fortunate to meet during my stay. After all, memories live on longer if there are people who can reminisce with you.

I have had the privilege of forming close relationships with so many unique and wonderful people—relationships that are easy to take for granted until the thought of being separated inches closer to reality. These people have been, and always will be, an integral part of the many great memories from this place that I will never forget.

If I have meant half as much to them as they have meant to me, then I can rest comfortably knowing that I positively impacted their college days as well. This is something I hope everyone has the opportunity to experience, in one way or another.

Prior to coming to campus, someone told me that the years you spend in college are the best days of your life. Thus far, he was been right. Now it is my goal to go out and prove him wrong.

But no matter what lie ahead, I will forever cherish the many great memories that I was able to experience in just four short years at Ohio State.

How firm thy friendship.