This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St. John's chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Not that it’s a bad thing, but the amount of change that’s happened was inevitable. I just wasn’t ready for it.

Here’s the truth: when you go to college, you are exposed to a life without a set routine made for you by others. You’re in charge now. And that’s the scary part.

Every decision you make carries real weight. There are positive impacts and negative ones. You start to realize your full identity. Being a college student means interacting with people from different backgrounds, figuring out who you want to be, trying to keep up with schoolwork and making sure you take care of yourself. It’s a lot.

You’re bound to fail sometimes.

And that’s okay.

Change is constant. There will be moments when you sit back and think, Wow, this is my life for the next three years. That realization might bring gratitude, or sadness, but no matter what, you have to persevere. That’s my advice: just go. Don’t overthink the million assignments you have to do, just start.

When I began writing this article, I wanted to pack up my things at the coffee shop I am sitting in and go home for a nap. But I started writing anyway.

College has been a time of deep reflection. I’ve come to understand both my flaws and my strengths. I’ve realized I thrive in stability, and I’ve learned how tough it can be when that stability is missing.

I wish someone had told me earlier that it’s okay to fail. I’ve failed more chemistry midterms than I can count, but I kept going.

If you’re a current or incoming freshman reading this: let yourself grow. Let yourself stumble. Change will come whether you’re ready for it or not, but you’ll be stronger for it. The goal isn’t to have it all figured out – the goal is that you keep showing up.

With the end of the year coming up, literally in one week, the person I’ve become over the past year of college is honestly extremely different from the person I expected to be.