"COLLEGE. It’s an exciting word, but also a terrifying one."Most people spend the summer before freshman year of college having fun and taking exciting trips, but I spent mine anxiously awaiting the start of the school year. When it came time for college prep, about a month before school, I didn't want to go at all. I was completely dreading it. There were many reasons why I didn't want to go, but the main reason was that the thought of being somewhere surrounded by a lot of people that I didn't know scared me. I have never been a very social person because of my shyness and social awkwardness, so having to meet new people wasn't really on the top of my bucket list.

Although, at the time, I felt like I couldn't survive college, I did, and I made it to my senior year of college without any major incidents. It feels unreal that I will be graduating in just a few months. I still feel anxious at times, but my anxiety is no longer caused by social situations. The first two and a half years of college were a little rough. I kept to myself most of the time and didn't participate in any social activities. I thought it was okay to do that, but I later learned that wasn't in my best interest.

During the spring semester of my junior year, I attended my first school event that wasn't required for one of my classes. I went to a few of the smaller events held during "International Week," but the first big event I attended was a Nepali festival called Holi. Earlier that week, I considered not going. I didn't really know many people that would be there, but my friend told me that I should go, so even though I was hesitant, I went. I'm truly grateful that I did because I had a blast, experienced a little bit of Nepali culture, and made new friends. This one event opened my eyes to new life experiences. Since this event, I have now attended many other international events as well as other events on campus. I feel truly blessed because of all the new people I have met, and I can honestly say to all of them, “You brought colors into my life.”

If I could go back, there is only one thing I would change. I would have tried to get involved on campus much sooner than I did, but since I am unable to do that, I plan to make the most of the time I have left at college. I would like to encourage each of you to get involved on campus and to go to events. School work is important, but having friends and attending events can make college life more bearable. College goes by faster than you can imagine. Don't let your college years pass you by!