Have you ever found yourself with a group of people in college, and you feel like you don’t belong? But you are stuck in this situation where you don’t want to be left out? You sort of start assimilating yourself with the personality traits of others and trying to make that your own? You are not alone. I have been there—more times than I would like to admit if I’m frank with you. College can be a great place to meet new people, but it can also be a place where it is hard to stay true to yourself. Several factors can make you question who you are. It could be classmates, professors, bosses, coworkers, random people you meet throughout campus, people in clubs, etc.  You’re interacting with so many people that you forget to spend time with yourself and your thoughts. As students, it can be hard to remember who we are because we are constantly trying to impress people, whether we like to admit that or not.

Sort of like this never-ending cycle of what will this person think if I say or don’t say this. Forgetting to take into account what it is that you want to say. We get nervous but don’t show it, so people really can’t see that we are faking our personality at the moment. Then when you’re done having the conversation, you have this weird feeling in your stomach because deep down, you know that wasn’t you. It’s important to stay true to yourself in college and remember who you are, so that you don’t end up in unwanted situations. Don’t get me wrong, it is good to meet new people and get out of your comfort zone, but what I’m talking about here is entirely different. What I’m trying to get across is don’t let anyone make you doubt who you are and what you stand for. What your morals and values are, don’t change them for others. That only leads to a constant state of unhappiness and a feeling of confusion. Staying true to yourself will lead you way further in college and in life more than you think. Stay unique and different because those are the people that make a change in the world. Stay yourself, and the people who are meant to be in your life will be the ones who stay. That will be much better because you will have those authentic friendships and connections with others.