First off, congratulations!

You did something impressive already that takes a lot of guts. You admit that you're scared. And why not? There's plenty of things to be scared of.

The future, falling in love, what kind of career you are or aren't pursuing, the trials and consequences of school life, or death. Those are pretty huge, but the small fears matter too. It's scary to get up in front of 50+ people and speak, jump in a cold lake, or pretend to like kale on a first date. We college students, or even as people, don't give ourselves a lot of credit for conquering the small things. We only pay attention to moments when we feel cowardly or weak in the face of our fears. Those moments stick with us. Haunt us.

But it doesn't always have to be that way. You don't have to be haunted or feel weakened by your limitations. You can be brave!

What people forget in their day to day lives is that being brave isn't being unafraid. Being a hero is not about being unemotional and detached from everything you experience. Having a life void of emotion is not a life --you just feel dead inside. So thank your lucky stars, thank the heavens, and be grateful that you can feel and be human. Not everyone feels like that all the time.

Use your fear by paying attention to it. Think about what you're scared of. Chances are the thing that scares you the most, is the thing you want the most. I get it, you don't want to see yourself failing or losing at something that matters to you. But you can't win the race if you don't run. You can't even place. You're just stuck on the sidelines watching people do what you want to do while you play it "safe."

The point is, you can do the things you're scared to do. Instead of thinking about the worst thing that can happen, think about what good can come of you doing the things you're scared of. Practicing public speaking will give you more confidence, applying for the major you truly love will allow you to study something you're passionate about, and starting your own club can lead to meeting new friends with the same interests as you. This would be a long article if I outlined the benefits conquering every possible fear but you understand.

But above everything else, remember this. You can't be brave without being afraid. So be afraid, and do it anyway.

And here's a quote to post on your bathroom mirror to look at in the morning by Teddy Roosevelt to get you pumped:

"Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don't have the strength."

And for all you meme enthusiasts:

Now you have everything you need to conquer the world, so get out there and do it!