Many say that college is a time to find yourself. You break away from the norms and the things you have always been told all your life, whether it is how to act or how to be "yourself." It isn't until college until you go through a rollercoaster of emotions whether it comes to friendships, relationships heartbreaks, disappointment, and the package of college: stress. But even so, it is a time you learn what you are capable of and how strong you are. Life may feel like it is falling apart; maybe you are hanging by a thread, but you find yourself pushing through it all. At the end, you find who you are and the true definition of yourself.
Some find themselves later than others and vice versa. Some struggle because of the lack of confidence. However, confidence is something that you can easily find in college, as long as you believe in yourself and break out of the limits you put yourself in. Whether you're academically, socially, or any perspective, there is always a way to build your confidence.
1. Voice your opinion.
It is okay to passive. It is also okay to keep some thoughts to yourself, but it also does not hurt to speak up for yourself. Tell others what you think and believe. Remember that you were given a voice for a reason. Everybody has a voice, so if others take advantage of that, you should too. Never think that your opinion is less worthy than another person. And never let that inner voice of doubt stop you from gaining confidence to speak up.
2. Accept disagreements.
When you speak up, you will find that sometimes not everyone agrees with you. There will be people who disagree with what you believe in or what you stand for. That's OK. Respect their opinion, even if they do not show respect to yours. Throughout college and other times throughout your life, you will find that there will be people who disagree with you. Some respect yours still, and some will try to stay away from you because of what you believe in. It does not hurt to be surrounded by people who do not think the same way as you. Take in what they say constructively. It is a way to expand your horizons and gain more opinions that you can develop later on.
3. Accept mistakes and downfalls. Accept learning the learning process.
It is college. There will be nights where you skip studying to go out with your friends. There will be times where there is something going on where you can't focus. Maybe it left you where you don't want to be. That's OK. Accept what happened and move on. Do not let that hurt your confidence in the other things you continue to do, whether it is test-taking or doubting your study skills. Things happen where things won't go the way you want it to. You can either let it stop you from doing amazing things or use it to push yourself to continue to expand your abilities. Remember that it comes with the package of learning.
4. Do something that you're good at.
Comfortability always goes back to doing something that you're good at or familiar with. It's OK to be comfortable with doing something. Maybe things are hard and you doing this certain thing will put you back on your grind and relieve some stress. Remember that it is great to put yourself up for the challenge and take new types of classes and activities, but don't challenge yourself too much to the point where you will break. There's a limit on the load you can put on yourself. Remember to have fun with what you're doing.
5. Reward yourself for your accomplishments.
Life comes with ups and downs. There will be times where you feel like everything is going wrong in your life, but there will also be times where things are going so well; perhaps it is going so well that you feel like nothing can bring you down. That's wonderful, keep it up! Remember to treat yourself after you do something that makes you feel great. Continue to feel that way and remember how it feels, so the next time you ever have a slight doubt in yourself, remember you can do anything you believe you can do as long as you have the right mindset.
6. Lastly, get rid of anybody who wants to take your confidence away.
You can do everything in making sure that you break out of your shell and gain the confidence you want, but there will always be those type of people who want to burst your bubble or want to bring you down. It can be because of envy, jealousy, or even a slight low-key admiration. Regardless of what it is, get rid of the negativity in your life. Be with the people who make you want to do better and motivate you to continue to do the things you want to do. If you're having doubts of yourself, there should be people around you that gives you a positive vibe, so if there is anyone in your life who wants to take that away from you, rethink if they're worth losing your confidence, and ultimately yourself, your identity.
Take college as it goes. Go out, have fun. Expand your knowledge, connections, and horizon. Make it your goal that you bring this confidence with you after you leave college because in the real world, there will be more struggles you will have to face, but at least you know at the end of the day - you have yourself and the confidence you built within yourself.
