Loving yourself can be hard to do. I'm almost 20 years old, and I still struggle with being comfortable in myself. Whether it's body image, worrying about being smart enough, or simply wearing what you want to wear, being comfortable in your skin can be hard. It is important though that we all remember that everyone struggles at some point to fit in.

Before coming to William and Mary, I was pretty confident in my intelligence. Throughout my entire freshman year, however, I struggled with feeling like I was less intelligent than everyone around me. Many of my other high school friends who went to academically rigorous universities struggled as well. I never raised my hand in class, never answered questions unless I was called on, and never asked questions out of fear of looking "stupid" or being labeled. During my sophomore year, however, I've begun to find my voice in class. While there are still freshmen who know more about politics than I do, I've been able to get over the fear of being called stupid. Instead, I tell myself that it will one day be funny and that I will look back and laugh. One class doesn't decide whether you are smart or not. Instead, I've realized, we should put our energy into subjects we are passionate about. Besides, you can't be a genius in everything.

Struggling with body image issues for both girls and guys simply sucks. Feeling inadequate based on the perceived image of your body that you hold in your mind is hard to deal with. Before college, I struggled with body image issues at times, but first semester of my freshman year was the worst. Being in a new place surrounded by beautiful women that you want to look like is hard. I, ultimately, blocked myself off from socializing my first semester because I felt too awkward or weird to make friends. Instead of going out to make friends, I opted to stay in bed and watch Netflix all night because I figured no one would want to be friends with someone who looked like me. The next morning when I would check Instagram, I would see everyone else out having fun.

I desperately wanted to look like other girls and be able to pull off the outfits that they could pull off. By second semester, I was done with college and wanted the next three years to fly by. It is with this attitude, however, that I was finally able to break out of this vicious cycle. Because I so desperately wanted to leave, I was no longer scared of being me. I know longer wanted to be like the girls of first semester. Instead, I wanted to embrace being me by doing what I wanted and dressing how I wanted.

College is a breeding ground for self-esteem issues. While for some college is the best time of their lives, for others it's just a stepping block on the way to the best time of their lives. While trying to break out of these self-esteem issues is hard, in the end it is so important. College is a time to explore and to find yourself. Even if it's not the best time of your life, it's important that you find your own voice and your own happiness. Because once you find your own identity, no one will be able to take it away from you.