As I was getting ready for Halloween weekend, I started thinking about how weird it was that we all went through a period of time where Halloween was "uncool". There was a certain age when people would judge you if you wanted to dress up and go trick-or-treating. So the majority of us acted like we didn't want to go get free candy and stayed at home. Why? Of course, there were some people who genuinely didn't enjoy Halloween, and those who didn't care what people thought of them and went anyway. But why did we let other people's opinions get in the way of what we wanted to do?

This is a concept that is so much bigger than just Halloween, obviously. I remember in middle and high school, the most basic things like actually studying for exams, holding a position like class president, and joining clubs, were scoffed at. It was weird to hang out with your parents, and it might as well have been the end of the world to be seen in public with them. It's sad to think about how much everyone judged others for doing certain things that are normal in the grand scheme of life. Time after time, I let my fear of being judged get in the way of things that I would have benefitted from.

Luckily, the atmosphere in college is basically the exact opposite from grade school. Things that used to not be cool were immediately considered socially acceptable again. Clubs and organizations are highly encouraged, and running for executive positions within them is even better. We all study together for hours on end and staying at the library literally all night is a common occurrence. I call my mom every day, sometimes multiple times a day, and I honestly don't know how I would function without her. We are finally free to do whatever we want without criticism, and do what we need to be successful.

I wish that awkward stage in life when everything was viewed as lame would just disappear. There is so much that we missed out on in those years where we worried about fitting in and being cool. Don't let opinions hold you back from anything. Throw on a costume and celebrate Halloween because it's pretty dang fun.