Everyone knows the feeling of FOMO, the fear of missing out. Especially at a school like Lehigh, friends and classmates often make it seem like so much is going on and you're lame if you're not partaking in all of it. This fear and anxiety of staying in and missing out on an "amazing night" is only worsened when we see photos on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram the next day. We end up regretting our choice to stay in or do something else because we missed out on being in pictures with our friends who seem to have had such an amazing time. However, over my last 3 years at Lehigh, I've really come to understand that nothing is ever as it seems. There have been countless nights where pictures and snaps were posted that made me regret my decision to stay in, only to learn later from my friends that the night was only "okay" and I really had missed nothing special.

The truth of the whole FOMO situation is that we're really just comparing ourselves to our friends and peers. In a generation consumed with social media and how we appear to others online, every picture taken and posted is meticulously thought about beforehand, the whole point being to make it seem like our lives are always filled with exciting adventures and fun times. But although we all know that these are false realities, we let FOMO affect us anyway.

We need to remember that FOMO is only real because we let it be real. We're all different people who have different interests and at the end of the day, the only person making you feel regret is yourself. You shouldn't feel bad for wanting to do something or not wanting to do something. There is nothing wrong with choosing to stay in and watch a movie instead of going down to East Fifth with your friends for the night. Believe me, there are plenty of parties and things to go to throughout your whole college career and beyond, but scarily less time to do things for yourself.

So don't regret taking time to do things for you and don't like photos and social media make you feel like you're missing out. It's the end of 4 o'clocks! Take some time to catch up on all the sleep you missed. The parties will always be there.