First Year: Fudge Brownie Cookies

During my first year at UGA, I lived in the dorms, specifically Myers, and had the unlimited dining hall pass. My dorm symbolized the warmth that freshman year had; it was where all my friends would take naps, laugh, and watch TV shows. The dining hall was also a special place: my friend and I would have debrief sessions, study when we were sick of the libraries, and eat until our pants felt like they would pop off. Every time we walked out of the dining halls, we would drop off our stacks of plates and head to the dessert section. Our mission was clear: like the stacks of our empty plates, our goal was to grab stacks and stacks of the fudge brownie cookies. Getting consensus amongst hundreds of college students is difficult; still, it is a well-known principle to claim that the fudge brownie cookies were superior among all the dining hall desserts. 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of water because that’s all I drank ever 

4 teaspoons of going to the dining hall to get just a single cookie

2 cups of embarrassment because I got locked out of my room 

1 cup of huffing and puffing up the UGA hills 

1 teaspoon of fearing for my life as I get up on my lofted bed

1 cup spontaneous adventures with my friends 

1/4 teaspoon of rotting away in the science library 

3 tablespoons of going to my first-ever football game 

1/8 teaspoon of struggling to find my people 

I choose fudge brownies cookies because of the memories they represent: the warm memories of my friends, the ease of life and lack of responsibility, and the vibrancy of my perspective. 

Second Year: Brownies

During my second year, I lived off-campus. I had a year of being a college student under my belt and thus began my superiority complex. I suppose every second-year student feels this, starting from high school. The minute we weren't first years, they became our enemies, walking the streets complaining about how freshmen were walking slowly, taking forever in the dining hall lines, and acting rambunctious. In hindsight, I was a freshman only 3 months prior and most likely acted in the same manner. However, to give credit to myself and other sophomores, this is the year of the biggest change. We live off-campus, take harder classes, and are cementing who we are as well as our habits.

Ingredients:

½ cup of learning to cook, bake, and figuring out how to live in an apartment 

1 cup of figuring out how to take time for myself 

2 large cups of making purposeful plans with friends 

1 teaspoon of taking leadership positions in extracurriculars 

⅓ cup of exploring restaurants and cafes downtown and outside of campus

½ cup of locking in at Tate instead of libraries 

¼ teaspoon of a superiority complex

¼ teaspoon of finding my passions 

I chose brownies for two reasons: they are easy and customizable. Sophomore year was the biggest year of adjustment, as classes were getting harder, and living in apartments (as opposed to a dorm where you could always see your friends) made it a bit lonely at times. Brownies can be made either quickly without much thought with a box mix, or they can take an hour to make from scratch. The difference in effort and thought was what sophomores represented: the need to find a balance between a student and a young adult. 

Senior Year: Cake

My senior year was also my third year at UGA. Because I decided to graduate early, life seemed to speed up yet also slow down. I was finally an upperclassman and academically was only sharing classes with people I had studied with for the past few years. The anxiety of leaving undergrad behind set in and set me on a course of remembrance and nostalgia. I stopped rushing to class with my head down and looked around. Sometimes, I realized UGA was beautiful. I started to cherish the ease of being in college and the community I had formed over the past 3 years.

Ingredients:

1 cup of applying to jobs 

1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons for sprinkling the top of spending time with friends 

2 teaspoons of going on hikes 

1/2 cup of senioritis 

1 teaspoon of graduation anxiety 

1/2 teaspoon of constantly being reminded I was “old”

1/2 teaspoon of going to the farmer's market 

2 cups glued in cafes downtown

1 cup of rotting on my floor 

I chose cake as it symbolizes a new beginning, a celebration of leaving this chapter of my life.