College is a time where we’re expected to “find ourselves” and truly grow as individuals. As hasty high school seniors, we quickly accept this as one of the many tasks we’ll accomplish within our four years. Yet, as our freshman year of college slowly draws to a close, and we’ve accomplished making friends, getting involved, and making connections with people who share our common interests…. Where does “finding ourselves” fit in? On top of that, how do we get it done?

“Finding ourselves”, much to our chagrin, isn’t as easy as adults have made it out to be; it’s a much more harrowing task than anything we could imagine. Simply because finding ourselves means we must become aware. Not of our surroundings, but of what truly drives us to act, to think the way we do, and to accept. We must accept the positives and negatives of ourselves to become aware and conscious, which will lead us to our own happiness and euphoria.

Yet, this may seem like an easy task, but it’s far from it. For becoming aware and conscious leads us to becoming authentic, which is complicated in itself—it can lead us to tears, frustration, or a sense of longing, a sense of wanting to grow and become the adults we want to be, yet still cherish and acknowledge our inner children as well. To balance this, I have no sure way of knowing, but I believe it’s possible. It is possible through belief and a yearning to grow, to evolve, no matter what form it takes.

This harrowing task we’ve hastily taken on could take years, or months, it’s all up to you. You, the individual reading this, can make the decision to learn to grow into a better being, and “find yourself”, or delay it and allow yourself the freedom of letting that come with age.

It may be difficult to understand now, especially since we’re so busy becoming independent and finding our own individual niche in the world, but hopefully with becoming conscious and aware of ourselves, we can begin to understand our universe and our places in it, no mater where it leads us.