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" I&amp;#039;m sure 95% of incoming college freshmen think that this is the time to reinvent themselves. That they are going to become this brand new, fantastic and daring explosion of awesomeness once they step foot on campus. However, being in college for what seems like the fastest year of my life made me realize that while college presents you with opportunities for change, it doesn&amp;#039;t necessarily change you. I came into school outgoing, yet shy, all kinds of weird and awkward and more on the conservative side and I am leaving my first year behind pretty much the same person! First semester I tried so hard to change things about myself and used the idea of having the &amp;quot;college experience&amp;quot; as an excuse. The truth is that I may not have known (and still kind of don&amp;#039;t know) who I was, but I definitely knew that person was not me. Slowly but surely I have learned that the parts of you which may have been hidden or limited before are simply able to shine more because for the most part everyone is so accepting. Initially, I was afraid of being judged for not being interested in drinking and partying or for abstaining from sex, but what I found out that no one cares! Of course I have run into the rare few who offer me some ever so delightful, yet unwanted peer pressure, but most people are genuinely supportive of each other. Freshman year has allowed me to embrace more of the person I am instead of trying to become a whole new person overall. There is no doubt that college promotes leaving certain childish ways behind, but I also attribute that to just growing up and becoming an adult. I really hope I&amp;#039;ve helped you to solve your freshman year identity crisis and if you&amp;#039;re still going through it, know that it gets better\u2014and I&amp;#039;m always here to help! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/life/school/advice/a20724/jasmine-learns-to-be-herself/>