College is where being your true self is the only option. That was a lesson that I fought with. I knew going into the year that things would be much different than what I was accustomed to, but I seriously underestimated the amount of change that I would be facing. This isn’t a caterpillar turning into a butterfly story. This is about experiences of college that lead to small changes that have now made a world of difference.

Freshman year is when I found out just how sheltered I was at home. The confidence of my fellow peers kind of slapped me in the face, and hard. It was different seeing people embrace their little quirks. It was inspiring, but not easy to copy. All of my life I struggled with what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be. The fear of failure, rejection and judgement had control of my life. Before college, I conformed to the norm of society. Before college, it was never okay to be different. It was hard to be friends with everyone; it was hard to be friends with anyone. So, the fact that these new people wanted to get to know me was completely foreign. I was forced to talk about myself, which I never like to do. I’ve always kept my private life, private, and I’ve always been very particular on who I let into my life.

So knowing that about me, you could see how orientation was a nightmare of sorts. Orientation: the week when freshmen are forced to do things that they probably don’t really want to do. If you find someone who hates it as much as you do, then congratulations, you’ve made a friend. Some will stick around, but soon enough you will find the ones that you will want to binge watch Netflix with. Those are the friends that are going to become your family away from home. They will be your support through the challenges that your college life will bring. It took me about a year to realize who my true friends were. True friends will accept you with open arms, no matter what the circumstances are.

College has pushed my limits in many ways. I’m not ashamed to say that there have been nights when I have cried myself to sleep due to frustration or stress. Its okay to cry and trust me, it will happen. There will be challenges, disappointments, sacrifices and you will make plenty of mistakes. But it is going to shape you into someone you can be proud of. One of my biggest mistakes was hiding who I really am from the people closest to me. I didn’t want to burden them with whatever I was dealing with, because I believe that there is always someone out there who has it worse than I do, so I shouldn’t complain. The day I decided to stop hiding had to be one of the best days of my life. Yes, I lost a few relationships but I gained the truth about who my real friends are.

So, here’s how you make college the best thing that has ever happened to you. Be open to new people, because you’re going to find friendships that will last a lifetime. Be true to yourself, because you are more powerful then you will ever know. Be confident and know that you are one of a kind and important. Embrace your mistakes, and learn from them. Don’t be afraid to make them, it’s inevitable. Tackle challenges head on. Have fun, enjoy the little things and laugh until it hurts. Make memories. Don’t limit yourself. Most importantly, give it your all, because your future lies in the palm of your hands.