I’ll be the first one to admit college is scary. It is a huge transition whether you think you are prepared for it or not. I thought I was ready, and I was in some very important ways, but sorely mistaken in some other ways. I thought I would have college unlocked because I was essentially a full-time college student in high school, and I did –again, in some very important ways. For example, I knew how to take notes and how to study, but I had no idea how to manage my time efficiently. I knew how to make friends, but I underestimated how difficult it would be to break into a whole new sphere of people with virtually no one from my old world. I knew it would be hard and I prepared for that; I promise I did. But nothing prepared me for the emotional and mental stress college would behold and the elaborate ways I would have to overcome it all. One of the ways was joining a girl gang of totally intimidating, gorgeous, ambitious, intelligent writers called Her Campus.
I had always been involved in school. I did theater in Jr. High and debate in High School, but how the hell was I going to get involved on a campus of a billion people with half that amount of clubs and opportunities? Well, I took my shot. I met a bubbly girl at the club fair the first week of school and decided to take a chance. I had always loved English, and writing was a quiet passion of mine, so why not join a magazine? And let me tell you, I about quit after my first meeting. Everyone was so outspoken, outgoing, and ready to take on the world. I couldn’t even imagine the part of the world I wanted to storm yet, and they all seemed to have it figured out. My imposter syndrome went through the roof, so like any imposter, I tried to act the part, and it worked. That same girl who convinced me to apply actually used my idea for her column, and that quiet passion I had sparked a little. That spark grew when I pitched my first article idea, and the flames enveloped me when I published my first article. I fell deeply in love; I knew I had found a home on campus. My Campus. My world.
Finding Her Campus has been the best thing to happen to me so far in my college career. I am now surrounded by women who are supportive, creative, and so undeniably driven and successful. They push me to be a better me, to reach within me farther and farther so I can discover my authentic self and reach my goals. I am so grateful.
If you are struggling to find your place, whether that be in school, at work, in your community, or with your family, I encourage you to find a creative outlet and a group of people who support and love you for you. You are strong. You are brave. You are loved. You are supported. Surround yourself with people who remind you of that every day. Find your place. Find your light. Find your voice. You are worth it. Believe me.
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