With the departure of another semester in college, I have noticed so many changes in myself both physically and mentally. College is tough and reflecting on all its influences on our lives, both good and bad, is important to maximize what we get out of each semester. My junior year has been one of the best yet, but I have definitely learned a lot about myself along the way.
People aren’t paying attention to you. This might sound presumptuous, but it’s true. Walking into a lecture hall or down a street packed with other students, it’s easy to work yourself up with intrusive thoughts making you self conscious, but these people are quite literally not paying any attention to you 99% of the time. Think about where your mind goes when someone walks into your class, it probably isn’t thinking about that person’s outfit or the fact that they didn’t have time to do their makeup that morning. This is something I internalized this year and I have so much more confidence walking into a room because of it.
With that being said, it is also important to recognize that your confidence should not come solely from your looks. Sure, it’s nice to feel pretty, but if your beauty is the only thing that makes you feel good about yourself you need to find other special things about yourself. I used to feel like my worth was determined by my appearance and if I was having a bad skin day I didn’t even want to leave the house. Then I realized that there is so much more to me than the way I look on the outside. I am funny, I am intelligent and I have a great personality. These are now the things that give me just as much confidence as my looks when I walk into a room. I know that I can contribute to a meaningful conversation, and the compliments that are based on qualities like this are so much more flattering than those that come with physical appearance.
Listen to your body!!! Not everyone in college is capable of going out every weekend to party, myself included. College is stressful and some days you just need to stay in and cook a healthy meal or take a bubble bath. You’re not less fun or interesting because of it and you aren’t missing out on anything if you’re doing what’s best for you. Rest is so important at this age and giving your body what it needs is part of self care.
With this being said, cheers to another year completed. Learn from the successes and mistakes from this past year and make next year even better!