How do you know if the paper you just turned in was well-written? How do you know if you will get a good grade on the test you just walked out of? How do you know if you chose the right college? How will you ever know?

The answer is you won't.

You cannot go back and rewrite the paper once it is turned in. You cannot go retake the test once you handed it to the teacher. You cannot go to a different college for four years and compare it to your time at the original school you chose. However, you can believe in yourself and surround yourself with other people who believe in you too.

A few years ago when I decided to make a lifestyle change to go on a diet and workout more; I truly did not know if I would be able to go through with it. But, my family and friends believed in me and told me that I could. They told me I had the strength. They told me I had the drive and dedication. They told me to believe in myself. I slowly but surely started shedding away some pounds and a year later I was down thirty-five pounds. Without the support of my close friends and family, I do not think that I would have made it as far as I did.

About a year and a half ago I decided I would be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As time started to get closer to moving in I started to doubt myself. I wondered what if I chose the wrong school? Will I hate it there? Will I make any friends? My parents encouraged me that this is a new and exciting stage of my life. They supported me and believed that I would thrive here.

After moving in, I slowly started to dislike U of I and was convinced that I would not be coming back for my sophomore year. My parents told me that I needed to finish my freshman year and give everything a chance. I needed to open up my mind and heart to meeting new people, joining new experiences and enjoying my time here. Low and be hold I came back for my sophomore year of college at U of I and could not imagine myself anywhere else. If my parents did not believe in me, I would not be at the position that I am in my life right now.

Due to the support from my friends and family over the last 19 years of my life, I have started to believe in myself. Although I tend to question myself in almost everything I do, there are times when I do believe in myself.

I believe that I am a dedicated and passionate person who can get any task done when I set my mind to it. I believe that I am a strong person for my age and have learned a lot about myself over the last few years. I believe that I am headed in the right direction for my future. I believe in the person who I have become and I would not be able to say that if I did not have my family and friends to believe in me.

So a big thank you to the people who have believed in me and helped me get to this point in my life. I will always need your support and love in the years to come, but I have learned to start believing and loving myself along the way thanks to you.