You stand at the steps of your new home, shelter, and learning environment for the next four to five years. There is no moment quite like this, for the hard work that you have done in the past has paid off now to where you are currently standing. You are enrolled at the University of Loneliness.

No one tells you about the hardest part about college. Balancing school, work, and social life can become a norm for the average student. But does the average student expect to find loneliness in their tuition fees? It comes with a hefty price that some of us, including myself, had to pay. I was not prepared to face what my heart had to endure for the first weeks of college.

Sitting there alone, asking myself, “Where do I find friends?” The question boggled me day and night. In high school, I managed to create a bond with a group of friends that always stuck together. However, this was not high school anymore, and I certainly was not back at home either. I had to remind myself where I was and where I used to be.

I walked through the halls of my new home and stared at unfamiliar faces. The times I ate alone transformed into sessions of feeling out of place, out of mind. I was quickly forgetting my journey that I had taken to come to San Jose State University. I knew very well through this I had to come to terms with the strength I had in me to remind myself of my abilities.

I sat down and wrote a letter to myself to reiterate the simple fact that I was never alone. My parents, my friends, teachers, and others were always by my side. Most importantly, I knew that I also had myself to confide in. Once I realized this, I finally became comfortable in my new home and expanded myself to greater lengths, which ultimately helped me graduate the University of Loneliness and onto San Jose State University, as a new student.