I think about all of the people I met, the experiences I had, the times I cried, and the times I laughed. These past four years have been nothing short of amazing, and the time has only flown faster as the years go by. I specifically remember coming back from Chile my sophomore year J-term and thinking, “Wow, I’m almost half done with my time here at college.” And then, before I knew it, sophomore year was done, junior year was done, I studied abroad in Italy, and now I’m nearly graduating.

College was truly a time of growth for me, as it is for many people. In high school, everyone is watched over by their parents, but in college, we finally get to grow our own wings.

My one piece of advice for incoming freshmen, graduating seniors, or anyone in between is this: never be afraid to fail. If I’ve learned anything during college it’s that you need to fail in order to learn. One rarely learns from his successes, but instead from his failures.

Afraid to fail a class you’ve heard is really difficult? Take it anyway. Not sure if you’ll make class president? Run your campaign anyway. Scared to get homesick while traveling abroad? Buy yourself a plane ticket anyway. Terrified of rejection? Talk to that new student in your class anyway.

We cannot grow or improve ourselves if we never take chances. These chances can shape who we become in college, and after. These opportunities are doors we can open, or just walk on by. But if we choose to walk by too many doors, we do ourselves a disservice. How will we ever know our true potential if we never open those doors of opportunity?

Everyone finds their “doors” at different times. Some find a majority of them during college, some maybe won’t find them until they’ve gone out into the “real” world. Whenever it may be, it’s imperative that we don’t shy away from failure. Our generation was brought up on participation awards, but life after college simply won’t be that way. It’s important to realize that failure is not the worst thing that could ever happen to us. In fact, it just might be the best thing that could happen. In high school, I was the girl who didn’t fail, school was a breeze, and I’d been praised for it since kindergarten. When I came to college, I no longer saw that as a good thing. I had to learn to take criticism, and when I failed, I had to deal with the consequences. But during my four years here, I’ve dealt with a lot of failures that have ultimately led to who I am today. Without those failures, I certainly wouldn’t have experienced the successes I now pride myself in.

If you ever find yourself asking, “Should I take this opportunity even if I fail?” the answer should be yes. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from making your dreams come true. Each failure is but another feather added to your growing wings.