In college, you learn many lessons the hard way.

You make friends. You lose friends. You study hard. You don’t study nearly enough. You do really well on your first midterm, but try as you might, you end up completely failing the second.

But it’s life. Things happen. And yet life still goes on.

In college, you learn many lessons the hard way. You make friends, but as you struggle to keep them and find your place in the university (not to mention yourself), you sometimes end up forgetting yourself, and who you really are, and why you even came to college in the first place. People put their friends and their grades and their social standing before themselves, and as a result, they end up losing themselves in the process.

In college, you learn many lessons the hard way.

But it’s life. Things happen. And yet, life still goes on. And so should you.

Because no matter what happens, you come first. And you always do.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand. There’s thousands of people who go to the same university as you do, but everyone need their own tight circle of friends. And when trying to find that tight circle, lots of sacrifices must be made. Homework may be overlooked for lunches, lots of smiles have to be worn, and sometimes you might even go on outings you don’t really want to go to, just because.

But don’t forget yourself. Give yourself space to breathe. If you’re like me, an introvert, you’re going to need precious little moments to recharge. Give yourself the time and energy you need to get your work done and study. You’re in college, after all; why else are you even here for? And most importantly of all: don’t be afraid of the consequences--you’re taking care of yourself, after all.

Besides, if these people you’re trying to befriend are the real deal, they’ll understand. They are your friends, after all, and true friends only want the best for one another. In fact, they’ll be supportive in your endeavors. I have friends who’ll gladly accompany me on an all-nighter study binge, happily supplying snacks all the while. I have friends who’ll come over and hang out in my dorm room just to chat about the recent homework assignment about iambic pentameter (#justEnglishmajorthings, amirite?) And I also have friends who I don’t really get to see that often because we just have such opposing schedules, but it’s perfectly fine! We understand each other, and when we do get together, it’s a blast!

And if your so-called "friends" don't get it, if they end up leaving you on read and storming out of the dining hall angrily, let it go. They weren't worth it in the first place.

In college, you learn many lessons the hard way.

But it’s life. Things happen. And yet, life still goes on. And so should you.

Because no matter what happens, you come first. And you always do.