LEVONUBARI NENBEE: EDITOR AT LARGE
““Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.”
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Transitioning in life is always difficult. Some people never have to experience it, while others do so in moving to a different place, going to new school, meeting new people or taking on a new job. In this article I will speak specifically about the personal transition from high school to college.
Most people want college to be a completely new experience for them and expect to be amazingly popular, but realistically for most this isn’t possible. You can’t become a new person in a summer. You can grow and learn more about yourself, but you can’t forsake everything that you have been to become what everyone deems as “popular”. What is the benefit for changing yourself to fit others ideals? You won’t truly be happy as your true self is being stifled.
When I was in middle school, I changed schools. I wanted to be popular and have lots of friends, but I couldn’t. Not due to my lack of friendliness or anything other than my realization that hanging out with the popular kids wasn’t what it appeared to be. I always had to try to please them in order to stay in their group and I soon realized that I couldn’t because in doing so I was becoming someone that I was unfamiliar and uncomfortable with. As I’ve grown up, I’ve realized that it’s alright not to “fit in”. I believe that it is okay to change yourself, but in doing so to only become a better person and not to fit into society. Before you can get someone to love you or appreciate you, you must do the same.
Like I said before, you won’t change into a new person in a summer; it’s a gradual change, one that you won’t realize immediately. When transitioning, it’s important to realize that you can’t please and befriends with everyone. You also have to find who you are, what your morals are, and what you believe in. You must take your life transitions in stride and be flexible and look for what you love and appreciate other than what society, only then your transition will be successful and you’ll become happy. Be yourself and people who genuinely want to be with you for you will find you. You will make friends, though it may seem to you like that it is more difficult than for others, but it is possible as in college there are different people everywhere and all you have to do is be open and be true to yourself.