Let's face it: Life isn't always easy. Furthermore, regardless of what your circumstances may be, it can even become downright confusing at times.

As a young woman who has just entered her freshman year of college (and to boot, her first-ever substantial amount of time away from home), I am certainly no stranger to the concept of internal conflict. As I have made my way through the first month of this new experience, there is no doubt that I've dealt with more than my fair share of confusion, and to be quite honest, it hurts me more than anything to be questioning things during a time when I have so many great things going for me.

While I am aware that taking on any challenging new endeavor often lends itself to overwhelming feelings of insecurity and confusion, I have found that these intimidating emotions increase tenfold when you've also been taken out of your natural home environment in order to expand your horizons. If I'm being honest, as much as I have enjoyed my time at Fredonia thus far, it also feels as if my entire world has been turned upside down. In other words, if you can name it, chances are, I've probably questioned it at some point since I arrived here.

Of course, no one ever said that it's not okay or not normal to be feeling lost within the realms of immense, life-altering change. However, this unspoken truth isn't always entirely reassuring when you're stuck in a vicious rut of overthinking absolutely everything. It's hard to accept, but I've come to realize that it's probably better to let these feelings run their natural course instead of trying to fight them off completely. After all, intense doubt and worry are often part of life's essential growing process, and to deny yourself these unsettling feelings might take away your ability to recognize when you are, in fact, settled.

So, you may ask, if the proper answer to this confusion is not to fight it, then where does one go from there? Personally, I have made some use of my school's counseling center. Although this has not necessarily lifted away my worries at the drop of a dime, it has opened my mind to some simple coping mechanisms that allow me to relax, accept what I am feeling, and ease my mind. It did take me a while to admit that I could probably use some help from an expert, but in the end, I'm glad that I was able to make that choice for myself.

I've also found that it is very important to not let your worries prevent you from enjoying yourself. When I first began experiencing some of the aforementioned confusion, I will admit that my first response was to isolate myself. However, I quickly learned that this method of dealing with my feelings was the farthest thing from beneficial. As an alternate plan, I began forcing myself to go out and have good time, intensely focus on my work, and pretty much just do anything other than think about my problems 24/7. It hasn't been easy, especially when these feelings take a toll on my sense of motivation, but I've realized that I need to do what I can to at least try and make myself happy. Sure, getting out doesn't necessarily remove the issues completely, but if nothing else, it certainly pushes them to the background for at least a little while.

Ultimately, the message behind this article is to say that confusing times are bound to happen, especially when you've experienced such a large amount of change in such a short amount of time. Although I'm still working on accepting this fact myself, anyone else who may be going through the same types of things is truly not alone in this matter. We went away to college for a reason, but questioning things in regards to such a big life decision is only natural.

Take a step back. Relax. Breathe.

You are strong, and you've got this.