You've heard it countless times before: College is where you find your people. Everyone says it, and throughout high school, I treated that sentiment like my own personal mantra. To me, it was a reminder that even if I didn't have many friends now, I'd be surrounded by them once I went off to college. I refused to let myself get caught up in friends leaving me behind or potential friends brushing me aside. In my eyes, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and I couldn't wait to reach it.

Once I finally graduated high school and started my first college semester over the summer, I was ecstatic. Finally, after years of waiting, I would find my people. I'd always imagined stepping through the classroom door and immediately clicking with a group of people that I fit into like a puzzle piece finding its proper spot. Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way. Finding your people isn't as easy as snapping your fingers and being surrounded by a quirky group of people who indoctrinate you into their ragtag gang at the drop of a hat. At first, I was dismayed by this. My first few weeks of college were lonelier than I'd hoped they would be, and after a while, I started to fear that college wasn't the light at the end of the tunnel after all.

It wasn't until I gathered all of the courage I could muster and attended a campus event that I realized what I'd been overlooking. Finding your people is a process with an emphasis on "finding." You have to put yourself out there in order to find people you get along with. Once I started doing that, even if I was a bit nervous at first, it wasn't long before I started to make friends in places I'd have never expected.

In fact, I met someone I now consider one of my closest friends at a meeting I'd barely wanted to attend in the first place! I may not be part of as big of a group as I'd pictured in high school, but what matters more in friends is quality as opposed to quantity. At the end of the day, I couldn't be happier with the people I've chosen to surround myself with, and I can say with certainty that I've found my people.

What I'm trying to say is that if you haven't found your people yet, try not to worry too much about it. It takes time, so don't expect to wake up one day and suddenly be part of a tight-knit clique. The first step to finding your people in college is to get out there and start introducing yourself to people who seem interesting to you. Don't be afraid to take that leap. Who knows? You might meet your best friend that way.

As long as you keep searching, I can assure you that you'll find your home away from home in no time.