College isn't what everyone always made it out to be. All of the movies and shows I grew up watching as a kid didn't prepare me for the day that I would eventually set foot out of my childhood home for 8 months out of a 12-month calendar year. I had this abstract view that college students have all the time in the world and that they always had time to do whatever they wanted. It makes me laugh thinking about that because I couldn't have been any more wrong. Ultimately, though, no matter what your friends, family, or acquaintances have told you about college, your experience will be what you make of it.

You become what you make of yourself. College is a time to grow and really get to know things about yourself that you may not have known before. College is a time that you will be pushed to your limits and thrown abruptly outside of your little security bubble for your own good. You become a completely different person throughout your college education.

I don't recognize who I once was, and here are four reasons why:

1. I've made new friends.

Everyone grows up with their 'squad'. You have that set group of friends that you can't think of doing anything without. Before coming into college, you will all make a promise saying you'll stay close to one another even though you are all going to different universities. That wasn't the case for me. I haven't talked to any of my friends from high school unless I either bump into them on campus, or somewhere in my hometown, but that's okay. We all have our own lives and we're all pursuing different things as we keep stumbling forward.

I still love my old friends, don't get me wrong. They were necessary building blocks to create the person I have grown into today. So thank the friends you have now. Whether or not you are still in high school, college or you've been out of school for 10 years. Thank them. Thank them for being your other halves. Thank them for being your shoulder to cry on. Thank them for being by your side when you go through your first breakup or family death.

Thank them. Love them. Appreciate them.

The friends I have made now in college have continually grown me up. They have unconditionally loved me and encouraged me. They have been there for me when all seems hopeless and life doesn't make sense. They have been there for me through countless shenanigans like getting a pizza at 3 in the morning or going for a walk downtown during ungodly hours. They have been there for me when all I can do is cry and cry and cry. They have become my extended family. My new friends don't fit into the old mold I used to be a part of. Instead, we all are our own separate works of art that just complement the other. We make a puzzle whole. They are the ones that I see myself talking to when I am old and gray and in a rocking chair. They are the ones I seemingly found on a campus with over forty-thousand students. They are my people.

2. I've failed.

Going from being top of my class in high school to an average Joe at a Big 10 university was a hard blow to suffer to my ego. We all want to think and believe that we are the best that's out there. A lot of the times, it's other people feeding our ego and talking us up to be the sharpest tool in the shed. However, when you go from breezing through high school to your first college exam, you'll realize you didn't study enough. You'll realize didn't put in enough work. You'll feel defeated. You'll feel dumb. You'll feel like you don't have what it takes to be whatever you've set your mind on. However, you're wrong.

You're still smart. You just have to learn how you function; the best way that you study and retain information. It's different for everyone. You can't base your performance on the person sitting next to you because you're not them. You are your own person, and you have different priorities and you have different life experiences and passions. Your passion may not be biochemistry, but your best friends may be. Maybe what you're passionate about is art and the love the way it makes sense in your brain similarly to the way your friend loves the way biochemistry makes sense to them. You're not a lesser being just because you don't want to become a rocket scientist or doctor. We need people like you in the world still. Your self-worth is not based on other people or what the world says that you should aspire to be. Become the next Picasso or Einstein or whatever you feel your heart is leading you to be.

I've learned not to try and live up to other people's standards. I have to live up to my own and pursue my own. My failures have encouraged me to work harder and become a better version of myself. My failures have opened my eyes to the real world. I'm so thankful that I can say I've had to fail because my success will, therefore, be so much sweeter.

3. I've found God.

I grew up inside of a church, but I never understood the meaning of the Gospel. I didn't quite grasp the whole Christian idea. I didn't like the rules and restrictions; I wanted to be able to do whatever I could think of. Funny though, because I am only human and can't even do a push-up all the way, so how did I think I was going to be able to accomplish everything I wanted through my own power?

I got plugged into a church within my first week of college, and ever since then I have been blown away. I once was a tiny seedling of a Christian and I have blossomed into a little tree within the span of the past 7 months. Being surrounded by people who desired to look like Christ more and more everyday was such a breath of fresh air. I have learned so much in the past few months because of the people friends and family I have gained. If you were to place who I once was in front of me, I would not recognize the girl I used to be.

It's been quite trying, I will admit, to be at such a liberal college that is known for their night/Greek life. It's tempting to get caught up in the ways of the world and live by the flesh instead of by the spirit. However, I can never dream of turning around and going back down the path that my life used to be heading. The world has been lifted off of my shoulders and has been replaced instead with undying love and joy.

I will never be ashamed to admit that I am a Christian and in need of a Savior. My life was bought with a steep price, and how could I deny the one who bought me?

4. I've learned time management.

Now in no way, shape, or form am I ready to lecture any of you about time management because I still am completely horrid at it myself. However, learning how to manage your time is an essential lesson to learn. Especially if you plan on surviving all 4 years of college. I've learned how to say 'no' to my friends about having movie nights or hitting up the town on weekends because I've had mountains of homework and exams.

It's so easy to ignore all of your responsibilities in college because your professors won't hound you down if you haven't turned in assignments or have been coming to class. You're on your own. You have to motivate yourself, and even though the new "Beauty and the Beast" movie came out and you're dying to go see it opening night, you have to learn how to say no and focus on what you're ultimately in college for. This is something that I didn't grasp in high school. I was notorious for doing homework assignments, no matter the size, before the class it was due in and not the night before because I wanted to hang out with friends or binge watch all the "Grey's Anatomy" seasons on Netflix. However, now I've begun to map out my priorities and stick to them.

Now, as my own disclaimer, I still make the wrong choices all the time. Even when I know I have exams coming up, sometimes I might still agree to go out and get coffee and talk for 3 hours about life. I'm not saying you have to be void of any fun or excitement in your college life, but you need to discover that fine line between responsibility and irresponsibility. If you're stressed out of your mind, shut your laptop off and put your notes away. Call your friends and go see that movie or go grab a cup of coffee. By no means should your life be full of only stress and not of the beautiful life you have rushing around you.

I still haven't found the perfect balance between work and play. There's still countless lessons that I need to learn about myself too. It's so exciting to know that even tomorrow I will be a different person than who I was today. Who I am isn't who I once was, and I thank God for that daily. It's been such an encouragement every day to see where I am going as I choose to continue my education and pursue my career. I am no longer the shy and timid girl who could never call to order pizza. I am now an outgoing individual who laughs as loud as I possibly can and embarrasses myself far more often than I would probably like to admit. I am no longer someone who allows others opinions of me influence the way that I view myself. Instead, I am going to make a name for myself and claim my own victories. I now have friends who will walk through life besides me. I now have experiences under my belt that will continue to propel me forward and motivate me. I now have God who will never leave or forsake me. For the first time in my life I am not terrified of the future, instead, I am embracing it with open arms.