From the time you’re in high school to the time you graduate college, you go through a lot of changes. You are put into real-life, adult situations that force you to grow up and become the person you are meant to be for the rest of your life. It’s a very deep and daunting concept to think about, but when you sit there and actually think about your life, so many changes occur in those four short years while in college.

In these years, you find new friends, new passions, you create your own system of living away from your parents, you discover what you want to do with your life, and so much more. All these experiences mold you into who you are coming out of college.

Here are five things you can learn about yourself while in college!

1. Trying to please everyone

In high school, all we care about is what other people think. We want to impress our peers and fit in to certain crowds. When you get to college, you discover that impressing other people isn’t a priority. Of course, you want people to like you but you also learn to accept yourself and if people don’t like that, well then tough luck.

2. Fearing changes

When you first move away from home to go to school, there are a lot of emotions that you feel. You’re excited, nervous, anxious, and confused (like where everything on campus is). A change this big can be scary, but what I’ve learned during my time at Baylor is that taking chances and being open to new experiences helps you get a new perspective on life.

3. Living in the past

To put it short and simple, not many people care about your high school year. Of course, you’ll make life-long friends and tell them all about your past, but if you’re the guy/girl who is always bringing up a “totally amazing time” in high school every chance you get, you’ll come to realize that maybe not everyone wants to know. They would rather live in the crazy moment of college.

4. Putting yourself down

When I think of this topic, I automatically think of school. Yes, college is full of incredible experiences, but there is also moments of panic and disarray because of your classes and grades. When I first showed up to Baylor, I was (and still am) proud to be a part of the school, but I failed my very first college test. It made me question my abilities to be a good student. What I’ve learned since then is that your grades matter, but they don’t define you. Don’t let a few poor grades here and there determine your mindset of who you are.

5. Overthinking

This point can be seen throughout so many aspects of your college experience. Did I do well on my test? Does this person like me? Do they want to be my friend? Am I ever going to be successful after I graduate? You can overthink so many things in life. What I have learned while in college is that overthinking doesn’t work. It only causes more stress. Sometimes you have to let situations go the way they are meant to, even if that means stepping back and letting God handle it.