I’m here to tell you as I have told myself a million times: Your first semester at college does not define your whole college path, nor your ability as a student.

Yes, there were rough patches, sure you could've done better...but that doesn’t mean you didn’t do your best shot your first semester. Don't beat yourself up over one not-so-good semester. Learn from it. Accept it. Give yourself enough credit: you made it through your first semester of college, that’s a feat that not many are allowed to experience.

I began to realize this (and still am) on two occasions this semester: One, when I was at one of the final information meetings for a Latina sorority group and second, with my Lyft driver as they drove me to the airport. On both occasions, these individuals have told me to not bring myself down for a “failed” semester.

If you didn’t do so hot in a class, take it again if you can or promise to yourself that next semester will get better. You are adjusting, you were handling too many stressors in life, it’s okay to admit that you didn’t perform as well as you could have.

But as a freshman, people understand this, people get that you may not have had a lot of resources available to you, that you are far away from home, that you are facing your own personal turmoil that not everyone knows about. Even with this, be prideful of what you have accomplished.

Don't feel discouraged by this semester’s failure. Get back up because you can do better.

Or maybe you’re beating yourself up because everyone seems to be doing so much better than you are. Excelling academically, easily making new friends and getting involved with organizations on campus. But you’ll get there. This is barely the first semester of your college career, you have plenty of time for improvement, to manage your time and to meet new people.

First settling into USC and getting a feel for the classes...of course I was excited...but at the same time, I was doubting whether I really deserved to go to this top university. I began berating myself, scolding myself for not doing so well on midterms, not having that much credits coming into college and having a tough time adjusting to meeting complete strangers.

There’s nothing I can change about this last semester, but I still have the chance to improve in my second semester in college. It’s never too late for improvement. But the societal norm to bring yourself down, to belittle your accomplishments, has got to stop.

No one deserves to feel that way, no matter how small your accomplishments may seem, they are still there and doesn’t change the fact that you did work hard this semester.

If you ever feel stressed due to midterms, finals, projects, or not fully adjusting to the college life, don’t hesitate to visit the Student Health Center at your school. Even voicing out your thoughts provide a tremendous relief.