New beginnings. Fresh starts. We all have a fresh slate at some point in life. Personally, I have been the new girl in school quite often. My family moved a few times throughout my childhood where I have had to start over at a new school. While being the new girl in school can be quite daunting it truly has helped shape me as a person. It has required me to be more confident and to burst outside of my shell. When I moved to different schools in elementary school, middle school and high school, I had to make new friends, try to maintain the old ones, stay true to myself amidst a new group of kids, etc. College is a new start for most as many go far away from home and to different schools as their friends. Not only have I had to jump off on my own in college, but I have done it twice as I transferred. I know how hard it is to be the new kid, but I also know how rewarding it can be as you have a chance to try new things and open your heart to a multitude of adventures and friends. My advice to those who are beginning at a new school, heading off to college or transferring is as follows.
1. Find your passions.
College is a time to find what you are passionate about because you have a career or graduate school waiting for you after your four years. Some may say that you need to be a doctor or get an undergraduate business degree or go to law school to be successful in the long run, but it is important to make sure that what you focus on in college is what you LOVE not what people say will lead to more success. If you love what you learn, then you will do well in your classes which will allow you to either further your degree in a multitude of fields or lead to an amazing job. Find your passions. Go for it. Love what you do. Grasp your future.
2. Take time to connect with new friends, but also reconnect with the old.
When entering college or a new school it is easy to latch onto your friends from your high school or friends from your old school, as that is the easy route. However, it is important to put yourself out there at your new school. When you continue to try with people you encounter in classes, at the dining hall or on your floor, you will make life-long friends. Although you do need to make new relationships at your current school, it is an amazing thing to make sure that you continue to maintain your relationships with your old friends. Both sets of friends are important as you move forward in life as the old ones know your past, but your new ones will be a part of your new chapter in life.
3. Love yourself.
Being in a new environment can cause the blues. Some days it is hard to find happiness within when you are plopped into a foreign place with new people, but you have to remind yourself to keep putting yourself out there and to face the world with a smile as it will get easier with time. It is easy to fall into the trap of hating yourself for not doing well on an exam or feeling hurt when a friend doesn't respond the way you want, but remind yourself that you can overcome whatever obstacle you face. Every challenge that comes your way can be overcome as long as you have the self-love and focus to make the future better. When you are lighter and easier on yourself, your life will fall into place. A blank slate is the perfect time to fall in love with yourself all over again.
4. Stay true to yourself.
It is so easy to follow the crowd instead of staying true to yourself as it is the easy thing to do, but it is not the rewarding path. The crowd may be popular and easy, but for some it is where people become the most lost. While you may feel like you are part of it all, you can feel lost within. I believe that if you stay true to your soul then you will not only be a happier person, but others will respect you more.
