Have you ever felt confused?

No, I do not mean the kind of confused where you stare blankly at your homework hoping that tomorrow your friend will share their answers with you. I mean the kind of confused that filters into your mind, upsetting your thoughts. You don’t know why you suddenly start to feel dreadful and heavy - it just kind of sneaks up on you. Then, just like that, your entire world is thrown off balance and the simple things you enjoyed start to become boring.

Being in college is amazing do not get me wrong, but sometimes I feel confused. Sometimes I think that what if there is something else that I am supposed to be doing? Instead of doing homework what if I was supposed to be building schools in down and out countries? I think it is okay for college students to feel kind of confused. You would not be human if not.

This year I am a junior, and for a while, I thought that I was getting everything I wanted. I had a wonderful group of friends and supportive family and boyfriend. Then things started to change with time and suddenly I did not feel right anymore. My love life was over and my friend circle got really short. I started to question a lot of things in my life, and tried to re-evaluate myself a little bit.

So, here I am to tell the confused student, whomever he or she might be, that is okay to be confused, and that to question your plans for the future is fine. No one ever said that they went to college and it just a straight shot through the years. No, college is all about exploring and figuring out what you like and who you are. There are no guidelines to tell you which choice is right or wrong. There is just you and this big world that you have yet to explore.

So why not go and do something that completely scares you? Why don’t you go out for that spot on the quidditch team? (Yes, at Michigan State we have quidditch, jealous yet?) Challenge yourself rather than just doing the same daily boring routine. Be confused and explore your options because who knows where you might end up.

Also, forget about the ones that try to restrict you. People will try to tell you that is it not a good idea to do something that could potentially make you happy. The thing is you need to just say screw you and do it anyway. You are not supposed to push the pause button on your life because someone does not agree with your choices. You are not meant to be a background character in your own life. To just cater to those that want you to.

Go out and live your life. Even if you have to start small that is okay, no one said life was a race. Remember that turtle won the race and the rabbit was left behind. You do not have to save people or cure cancer just explore the things that interest you. In the end, you will not regret it!