I just completed my first semester of college. And looking back on it, I feel as though I have grown and discovered plenty about myself. My first day was nerve-wracking. The campus seemed daunting as I walked up to its front doors. I had only been to campus once prior, to pick up an orientation package. However, I did not know where any classes were. Also, I did not know anyone from my small town who was going into the same program or college as I was.

I always struggled to make friends as a kid and ask for help, so I knew my first day would be tough. Taking a deep breath, I walked into the school. I had arrived half an hour before my class began because I knew I would get lost. I wandered down a hallway I had been in at the orientation, and tried to find my way to the wing my class was in. Within five minutes, I realized I was completely lost. Looking back now, I was a little too independent for my own good.

I wandered around for another ten minutes before I gathered the courage to ask someone for help. I found an older student with a “volunteer” shirt on and approached her to ask for help. She was quite nice and led me to my classroom. I let out a breath and walked into the room. After the fiasco of finding my class, I was not up for much socializing. I sat in the back, close to the door awaiting the start of class. My professor decided today was a good time to do small group discussions. So despite my aversion to talking to new people, I turned to the few people sitting near me and started a discussion.

My first day was full of stress, but it helped me realize a few things. First, I am capable of good things when in an uncomfortable situation. Second, asking for help is not as scary as I thought it was. Asking for help solves the problem you’re facing faster than trying to work through it yourself. And finally, college was not as scary of an experience as I was led to believe. College is a wonderful time to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and experience new things.

My advice for other students is very simple. You never know what you’re capable of until you try. This is applicable to so many aspects of life. For me, I never knew I was capable of being social in uncomfortable circumstances. The uncertainty of a new experience can create an idea that you are not good enough to complete the task laid out before you. In college, you should embrace this uncertainty. Make yourself uncomfortable, express yourself in new ways and discover wonderful things that you never knew you were capable of. College is a blank slate –  it is up to you to decide what you want to do with it.