In grade school and the beginning of high school, my label always consisted of the quiet and shy girl. To be quite frank, I hated it more than anything. On the inside, I was outgoing and free-spirited. Having this stereotype only demeaned my personal self-confidence and made me change the view I had of myself.

In my later years of high school, however, I began to break out of this stereotype. I began to talk and participate with more confidence and poise than I ever had before. Although I wasn’t totally out of my shell, I had made immense progress. Once college rolled around the corner, I finally built up enough self-esteem to be myself and to be proud of who I am. If I hadn’t made this transition, I do not know where I would be right now.

College is a whole new playing field. Not to mention, it’s much more populated than my innocent high school of around four hundred. If I was still shy, I would be missing out on a lot of things such as class participation, meeting professors and new friends, social events, and attending an occasional wild party. It’s important to be able to approach people. If you have a fear of people, you will never to be able to achieve what you want out of life.

One thing that being shy for a large part of my early life has taught me is to not judge those who are different. Just because you’re quiet doesn’t mean that you aren’t fun or don’t want to have fun. If you are one of those shy people, I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone every once in awhile. The more you do it, the more accustomed and comfortable you will become. There’s a whole new you waiting anxiously inside of you, ready to be introduced to the rest of the world. You’ll never know who you really are until you express your true self to others, and college is the perfect time and place to become lost in yourself and your inimitable talents.