When I started college, I was still the person I used to be. Shy, kind, non-talkative, fly-on-the-wall me. So, therefore, I felt like the odd one out in many situations.

It started with my audio engineering major and music classes. I was the one who sat in the corner or talked to the other person no one talked to. I didn’t really show my personality. I felt it when I walked into the Blackroom (a place where musicians perform on campus) and everyone was talking and conversing, and I just stood there trying to find someone I knew, not wanting to butt into others’ conversations just to say hi.

Then I joined the dance team my junior year. I felt like I was officially on the right track. I was finally doing something that I liked to do. The girls had said during tryouts that the dance team was the closest thing to a sorority/sisterhood we could get on campus, and I believed them. However, as the semester drew on, I realized I was doing the same thing I had done the entire time. I wasn’t showing my personality and I barely talked. I did what I was asked and I talked to only a few.

Then came the major change and all of the English classes and I still felt the same. I didn’t really know anyone except for a few people, so I again kept to myself. I almost felt like it was too late to make friends or something. Like, the boat had departed and I was still on the dock, looking at what could have been.

Then, I decided something important during the summer between my junior and senior year. I was tired of feeling like the odd one out. I wanted to feel like a group, like a part of something. So, I decided that I was going to show my personality to everyone I possibly could. I wanted to put myself out there instead of just being that fly-on-the-wall.

This year, so far, I have made multiple new friends (yes, actual friends and not just acquaintances) and I have gotten closer with the girls on the dance team. I’ve even taught a bit of choreography, so that helps a little as well. I act the way I want to act, and I say what I want to say. I feel like a different person almost. And I know that the people who I hang out with, want to hang out with me because they like me for me. Of course, it’s still a struggle and I have to think about it constantly, but I feel like I’ve at least started down that path and I’m sure it’ll only get better from here.

Now, I no longer consider myself the odd one out!

If you have any stories of your own about feeling like this or you want to ask any questions, I would love to hear from you guys, so just comment below!