Is it really over? Freshman year seems to have just started yesterday. I vividly remember moving in and writing my first entry; this morning I moved out and now I am writing my last entry. Freshman year has flown by at warp speed and now, as I sit waiting in the Houston airport for my flight home, it all seems so surreal.
I cannot begin to convey how much this year has changed me. The many events that I have relayed to you through my diary entries are among those that have significantly formed my first year experience at UR. Within my first year, I experienced living on my own for the first time. I learned what it is like to be independent and self-reliant, two qualities that have helped me to mature into my own person. I have also experienced totally new places, including my travels and the city of Richmond itself. Along with my exposure to new places, I have learned new cultures and met new people. I have also formed meaningful relationships with incredibly talented and interesting people from all over the world. And above all, I have had the privilege of attending ten UR classes and learning from dedicated professors who have challenged my way thinking and supported me in my academic and personal endeavors. Â
No amount of pictures or blog entries can sum up these past nine months. I have had nothing but opportunities ever since I was accepted into the University of Richmond. My first year was an incredible success and I cannot wait to see what the next three years have in store for me. Thank you for sharing my first year with me, dear readers, I hope yours will be just as amazing.
Signing off,
Kim
I am writing to you during my last weekend as a University of Richmond freshman. My friends and I decided to make it an unforgettable last weekend (as unforgettable as it gets, considering we all have finals to study for!) to celebrate our successful completion of freshman year.
As a last campus-sponsored event, the University brought Guster, a native Boston band, to perform. The band played in the Robins Center, UR’s basketball arena and athletic headquarters, and attracted a decent sized crowd for such a small student population. My group of friends and I celebrated by going off campus for dinner, then going to the concert. I exposed them to my favorite cuisine – Vietnamese! – and am happy to say that everyone enjoyed it. After the concert, we all decided to enjoy the surprisingly nice weather and hung out on the Westhampton Green while enjoying our last hours of freedom before quiet hours began for finals week.
And here I am, writing to you before I enter finals. For the next four days, I will be studying, taking three exams within twenty four hours, and writing two papers. Although these four days seem like forever, I will get back to you soon enough and let you know how it goes!
Guster at UR!
 
Friends at Guster
 
Friends on our last night
Happy Easter weekend!
Although I do not celebrate Easter, it has been a great holiday weekend for me. I accompanied the UR Model United Nations (MUN) group on our second trip of the year – to Chicago! Along with MUN delegations from over thirty other colleges, we attended the Model United Nations conference hosted by the University of Chicago. We stayed at the Chicago Hyatt Regency where the conference was held. This was an extremely ideal location as it’s set right in the middle of downtown Chicago, right across from the river and in walking distance to all the major Chicago hotspots. It was an incredibly enjoyable weekend full of meeting new people, debating historic issues and exploring the city!
When in Chicago, I had some spare time outside of conference committees to meet up with a few old friends from high school. They showed me around the city and we caught up over delicious Chicago cuisine (aka deep dish pizza). My MUN group and I also found some free time to explore Chicago on our own.
After four days of conferencing and exploring, we were ready to go home. I loved my weekend in Chicago and I love it even more that the University helped to make it happen by financially supporting MUN. It was a great learning and travel experience that makes my freshman year more memorable. It was also good for all of us to get off campus and experience something different for a weekend. Now it’s back to the grind, where everything is piling up in preparation for the semester wind-down.
Chicago by night
Meeting up with my friend from home!
I had to get a picture with the night skyline 
The famous Chicago “bean”!
UR Model UN and the obligatory “bean” picture.
At the fountain. The skies are so blue and the city provides such a nice background that this picture almost looks surreal!
Close-up
We wanted to prove that we’ve been “in” Lake Michigan.
The official Chicago picture
The large and lovely Easter package that awaited me upon my arrival home. My roommate’s parents had sent us all sorts of Easter goodies!
Until next time!
