I don't like change.

I'll be the first one to admit it.

When I transferred schools in 6th grade, I cried almost every day for the first semester. On every first day of school since I can remember, I've eaten nothing, overcome by nausea and nerves. Even though my high school graduating class had 35 people and I knew most of them for 5+ years, the start of a new school year was always unsettling for me. And now, here I am, living in a dorm twenty minutes from my parent's home, feeling like that unsure 12-year-old girl who had to swallow tears because things were just so different.

If I have learned one thing from being at college for two weeks it is this: Allow yourself to transition.

Most universities will hand you many beautiful orations about how the next four years will be the best of your life and how you should take hold of the countless opportunities before you. However, to someone who feels lost, like many freshmen do, the most comforting thing to know is that you have freedom. You are in charge of your college experience and you craft the narrative of your life.

I've spoken to many upperclassmen and college graduates about their advice for first-year students and although I've heard the generic "Get involved!" and "Don't miss the sporting events!", I think the best advice I've received so far is to rest. At the arrival of college, you are presented with many unspoken expectations for your success. But I believe that the most important step in transitioning to college is allowing yourself to feel emotions that aren't the joy and glee that your university preaches that you will feel. Allow yourself to feel a bit lost, a bit out of place, and a bit overwhelmed. And remember, everyone is on their own path, and yours doesn't have to resemble anyone else's.