As my 19th birthday falls on February 10th of 2017, I've decided to make a list of everything I learned by age 19.

19. Seriously, high school doesn't last forever!

No matter how much it feels like the endless days of waking up at 5:30 won't end, they eventually do. I promise!!!

18. Not every guy is an arrogant a**hole, yes really.

Coming to college has taught me that decent guys really do exist in the world and they don't all just want "one thing" like the common misconception.

17. Homework doesn't have to take over your life.

If anything, I've realized that I do a ton of homework, but I also have plenty of free time to spend with my friends.

16. STUDY!

The time spent in middle school thinking studying is lame will not pay off in college. I study for the amount of time I need to know that I understand what I need to and then I try to not to stress to bad about it.

15. Conquering anxiety takes baby steps.

It's still a day by day learning process, but I'm doing my best to keep my anxiety at bay. I've started to have an easier time raising my hand in class to voluntarily answer questions and have conversations with different people all the time which I never did in high school.

14. There are people I can trust in this world.

I've made friends in my life that I wouldn't trade for the world. When it comes to having people that I can have deep conversations with, I have the most understanding and nonjudgmental friends I have ever met.

13. Outward appearance isn't everything.

From the materialistic era of middle school to a new era of self discovery in college, I've realized that I am not a superficial person. It's nice to have a fancy here and there, but in all actuality, I know that my personality and charactertics make me who I am, not the materials I posses on my body.

12. Vegetarians are not crazy.

It took me along time to embrace the idea of anything made from vegetables would actually taste good. I am now addicted to a variety of veggie based foods and I feel like I'm contributing to helping the environment. (Thanks Isane!)

11. The obsession with dogs will never end.

From being a young child with a dog themed room to being an adult who is willing to pet a passerby' dog on the daily basis, it's safe to say that my love for that furry legged friend will never leave my heart.

10. Alone time can be a good thing.

I always associated being alone with the time I actually spent alone throughout school as I sat through my least favorite classes with no friends to talk to, the time during senior year when I literally had a study hall by myself, or just the time I spent in my room at home when no one was available to hang out with. Being alone always connotated a sad emotion, but I'm slowly learning that it's alright to have "me time" and not think of it as miserably being all by my lonesome.

9. I deserve happiness.

I spent a lot of time in high school constanty wondering the same old cliche "why me?" It always felt so unfair being the only person that was like me; the quiet, shy girl who never spoke a word unless spoken to. It felt like a curse at the time. But, college has led me to meet other people like myself now and know that I'm not "strange" and I do have a place in this world that I hope will mount to great importance one day. Not saying much doesn't mean I don't have articulate thoughts!

8. Braces will eventually come off.

I literally felt like I would never have my braces taken off after what felt like an eternity during that almost 3 year period. (Thanks impacted canine tooth!)

7. Embracing change is not a bad thing.

I was always somebody who hated change. It never seemed like a good thing to me. I've now had so much change happen in my life that I feel like new changes are for the better rather than anything bad.

6. Having a diverse group of friends is amazing.

I've met the people who I hope to stay friends with for a lifetime and I couldn't be more grateful for our chance encounters that made that possible. Everyone is so different yet similar and I love that. You all have impacted and changed my life(Thank you Nicole, Joc, Bre, Thomas, Isane, Benjamin, Kye, Callie, Juan, Noah, Jake, Abby, Mikayla and of course the rest of you amazing people who know who you are!!! I just didn't want too long of a list.)

5. It's okay to go to parties.

I always believed that notion that college parties are just a debauchery full of the people who solely came to college to party. I couldn't have been more wrong and oven made some wonderful friends just from people I've met at parties. And nobody has ever forced me to put a drink down my throat or offered me drugs.

4. Breakfast is actually really nice.

I never ate breakfast in high school and I still hardly do in college, but when I do get a chance to eat breakfast, I always wonder why I opt to skip out on it. French toast sticks are truly a wonderful gift from the Heavens.

3. A lot of realization about religion.

I won't speak my opinion on what my views are, but I'm now more vehement than ever on my stance with the subject.

2. Take plenty of photographs to capture memories.

As somebody who loves photography, this isn't a hard task that I've taken on.

1. Self assurance.

It's taken 19 years, but I am finally able to be confident in who I am, what I believe in, and what I stand for.