An Open Letter To The College Freshman Wondering If They'll Fit In
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An Open Letter To The College Freshman Wondering If They'll Fit In

It's OK if you fit in, and it's OK if you don't.

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An Open Letter To The College Freshman Wondering If They'll Fit In

If you're anything like me, you have dealt with the struggles of your freshman year of college. You've dealt with new people, new places, and new situations in a way that you never thought you would. And you're not alone, I promise. It happens to everyone.

Freshman year means different things to all of us. For me, it was a chance to escape the life I had longed to change in high school. It was a chance to prove myself — to prove that I could be who I wanted, not just who I was trying to be. It was both terrifying and awe-inspiring at once.

I came from a high school graduating class with fewer peers than my first college lecture. I came from a world where I was on a first-name basis with everyone in my class to a world where I knew absolutely no one...and it was terrifying. I was never a strong "people person" and anyone who knew my high school self can attest to that. I had a close group of friends, and that was about it. I wasn't an athlete, I wasn't an excellent student, I was just, well, me.

The first few months of my freshman year were some of the best (and worst) times of my life. I finally left high school and its drama behind and was diving headlong into the "big leagues." I knew literally no one here — the first communication in college I had, even with my roommate, was on move-in day when he got to our room. I was shell-shocked and stayed that way for a long, long time.

I tried everything to fit in. I signed up last-minute to rush, I joined a professional fraternity for my major, and I tried to get to every social event I could find. I set myself up in a position that most of you would excel at, and I failed. Badly. No matter how hard I tried, there was always something I wasn't or someone I wasn't hiding in the closet, waiting to catch up to me.

But that's OK. I say that cautiously, as I certainly had my share of troubles as I know most of you have as well, but as I look back on freshman year Steve, I realize how OK it is not to fit in. It's OK to feel like an outsider — we all do sometimes. It's a great opportunity to look at why. Why don't I fit in? What's missing? For me, the answer was simple — I was trying too hard to become something or someone that I just wasn't. I took not fitting in as a sign of rejection, a sign that I just wasn't good enough, but looking back, I'm glad that I felt that way. It was the push I needed to explore new activities, new paths, which would ultimately lead me to where I am today.

So, for all of you freshmen or soon-to-be freshmen out there, don't give up. It's OK to be different. It's OK not to fit molds — it's just a chance to try new things, meet new people, and be the person you really want to be.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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