We've all heard it before, and especially on campus, "It's important to step out of your comfort zone."

Cliché, but true.

I felt self-conscious about rock climbing, but after I took that chance, I feel better about taking an acting class. My first year in college was all about doing everything I regretted not doing in high school, like enrolling in a Japanese class and actually participating in class discussions.

The more I tried new things the more I realized, however, reinventing myself wasn't going to happen overnight. This came to me as more of a surprise than a disappointment. Why couldn't I just change everything about myself that could hinder my success as a college student by going backpacking? I was discouraged and spent more time than I'd care to admit on the phone with my mom, rather than pushing myself to be a completely self-sufficient adult. Finally, I decided to reflect on some of the decisions I made that helped me become more confident and social—joining my sorority, going on long bike rides with friends and organizing my finances (with a lot of help).

While I knew how important one's attitude is before coming to college, really implementing this desire for an improved outlook became evidently direr during an interview for an internship. Personality carries over from private life to everything from how you carry yourself in a meeting with a professor, to talking with an acquaintance in the dining hall. Opening myself to different social circles helped me to extinguish my original mindset that grades are the only thing that mattered in college. Participating in different clubs and team sports adds so many new and exciting possibilities, though exhausting to find time for it all. It seems cheesy and cliché, but it made all the difference in my transition from high school to college.

After this first year, it's obvious I have my work cut out for me, but it's all the more encouraging to see my change in attitude, more than I even hoped. Dealing with social anxiety safely can be a daunting task. Anxiety like mine is more common than I thought, so reaching out to others has helped me overcome a lot of issues.