It's 11:08 pm on a Friday night and I am curled up in my bed in my off-campus apartment, alone, typing away on my keyboard. What is a third-year college student doing, laying in bed on a Friday night, you may wonder…

Opinion:

For many, thinking back to your college days brings back many memories. Maybe it is the life-long friendships you made, the place where you met your current significant other, the place that helped you develop the skills to become a future leader, or maybe the times of being a wild young adult, partying and enjoying the freedom of becoming more independent. Or maybe, you are reading this, not relating to any of the above examples. Maybe, you are like me, watching Netflix alone on a Friday night, wondering why you are not out at the bar with every other "normal" college kid.

Tonight, I want to spotlight the college students who are like me and are not talked about as much.

In this day in time, there are so many "expectations" that many kids feel pressured they need to meet. With Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and other social media platforms, it is unlikely to go a night without seeing your peers out, enjoying themselves, celebrating the weekend. That is today's reality. So why am I not out having fun with everyone else? Let's cut to the facts here, and remember that not everyone likes to party, not everyone is as outgoing as you, and not everyone feels comfortable in social environments like these. And that is completely okay. In fact, it is normal.

Yes, I have anxiety. Yes, I take medicines, see a therapist, and occasionally have panic attacks. That's not the point though. The point is, we all have insecurities, we all have things going on in our lives, whether that be a mental illness, financial struggle, or family conflicts. There are going to be nights that I am not feeling up to going out and being in a crowded bar. There are going to be nights that I force myself to go out and wish that I can leave and crawl into the safety of my bed. There are also though, going to be nights that I am having a great time out being social; it's almost as if I don't have anxiety…

Shit happens. Everyone is just trying to find their place in the world in college. College isn't easy for anyone. It is tough. School is hard for most of us, some harder than for others. And having anxiety in college too? Let's be honest. It really sucks. I hate when I feel it creeping up on me while I am out with my friends, trying to convince me to run for my life, and escape the situation. I hate when it tries to take control of every decision I make in life, and I hate when I let myself feel inferior to "everyone else" just because they know I have anxiety. Enough of that! Instead of letting anxiety take over our lives, and social media set the standards for how to have fun, let's turn this around. Imagine if we all share how we overcome anxiety. What do YOU do if you are feeling anxious? It's important to have a plan or strategy in place so we can prove that just because we have anxiety, it doesn't make us any less of a person.

Our whole world is so stigmatized. No matter who you are, and no matter what you do, there is always going to be someone who disagrees with you, judges you, or makes you feel like an outsider. So, if you want to stay in on a Friday night, watch that Netflix show, and eat that pint of ice-cream, do it! If you're tired, have had a long day, and just want to chill and stay in, do it. Do what makes you happy people! I hope we can share this message so those who have anxiety, can see they are far from alone, and those who do not have anxiety, can have a better judgement of why their friends might have left that party early last night. Cheers!