Being awkward is not an easy task. Many people go through their entire life with minimal awkward experiences.

I am not one of those people.

Being awkward seems to be something I both unintentionally and regrettably excel at. I always knew I was awkward, but it wasn't until I started college that I realized the severity of my awkwardness.

In fact just a couple days ago my roommate was talking to someone she thought I might know. She asked this person: “Do you know my roommate Erika?” He replied with: “What does she look like?” She then described me a bit and ended with: “If you ever had an awkward interaction with someone since starting school here, you’ve probably talked to her.” When she told me this I wasn't offended at all. I simply laughed because what she said basically summarizes how truly awkward I am.

Once I realized how awkward I am I was a bit embarrassed. I mean, my level of awkwardness is so bad it has probably won a couple records. I really wanted to roll up in my bed and hibernate for a while. But what I eventually concluded was that me being awkward is just who I am. I actually started to be less awkward, which is still very awkward for most.

I came to the understanding that most of the interactions I will have are probably going to be awkward anyway, so I might as well not care so much and embrace it. You see, awkward people are interesting. They keep you on your toes and they make otherwise easy situations just a little bit more challenging.

Since starting college I have learned to wholeheartedly embrace my awkwardness. I’ve learned to accept that I’m just going to have things I will do that are going to be awkward, and that’s okay.

So an awkward girl’s guide to college is less of a guide and more of a statement. Stop caring. Stop caring about what others think of you. Stop caring about about your own perception of yourself. You’re probably more critical of yourself than others are in the first place. Know that you're a badass and live each day without any regrets. Essentially, don’t be afraid to break out of your shell and be the real you.

Don’t let you being awkward hold you back in life. It’s pointless. Everyone, at some point in their life, has been awkward before. Everyone knows what it feels like. Besides, the people that are worth keeping around will care a lot less about you being awkward and much more about who you are as a person.

Be awkward. Go crazy. Stutter. Ask stupid questions. Ramble endlessly. Tell the movie clerk to enjoy their movie, too. Lose all sense of the word “calm” when talking to your crush. The only thing that overpowers being awkward is confidence. So as long as you are confident and secure about who you are, you have nothing to fear. Be proud of who you are and how far you have come in life and above all, embrace the hell out of your awkwardness.