Everyone has insecurities about coming to college for the first time. What if I don’t make any friends? What if my classes are too hard, or my teachers don’t like me? I myself had these and many more concerns when I first came to Appalachian; I was so worried about “not fitting in.” I had spent my entire middle school and high school years trying to “fit in.”
For those of you who wonder, my differences are in my personality. I was, and still am the type of person who would rather read than party. I am the girl who always talks to my parents before making a decision, and who keeps a strict study schedule and always makes it to bed before 11 p.m.
Within my first week on campus, I got the biggest shock of my life. The people here were, in the majority, nice. It was foreign to me to see such open people who supported each other in their differences instead of fighting over the right way to act, the “normal way.”
It was these people who made me realize that it was okay to be different, and to accept me as for who I was. Of course, there are still people who don’t like me, but I am developing the confidence not to care about their opinions of me, because the only opinion of me that matters is my own.
If I had to give one piece of advice to everyone, it would be to accept who you are and be that person, despite the opposition. There are always going to be people who don’t agree with who you are, and that’s okay as long as you are happy with yourself. There is a place out there for every type of person, so don’t worry about “fitting in.” Instead, be confident in the fact that as yourself you will eventually fit into the place where you belong.