As I sit in my dorm room trying to figure out how to begin writing this article, I find myself feeling a little more alone than usual. Just a mere eighteen years old and I’m already on my own, city girl turned small college town and a long twelve hours away from my dog and my bed. I start my journey at a new school, in a new town, surrounded by new people with partial hesitation but also with excitement – I’m finally on my own.

As an old soul, I’ve been ready for college for as long as I can remember. “I can’t wait to get away from the high school drama,” I remember thinking. Fast forward to now, and sure, it’s great to be able to go out whenever I want, come home at 4 a.m. if I decide to, and skip class as much as I’d like. Yeah, college is great, but maybe right now, it’s not that great. Having three to four hours of class a day is pretty convenient, but that’s not to say that I don’t have eight hours of homework to do after that. Sleep? Tough to find, impossible to get enough of. Parties are exciting and all, but the whole “Who do you know here?” thing is getting a little old. “Uh, no one? I’m new here?” That’s the point, I don’t know anyone.

Going to a big school of 40,000 students, it’s actually not as easy as you’d think to make friends – but what I’ve recently learned is that they will come in time. “Don’t get too wrapped up in the little stuff,” my mom would say, “make a list of what’s important to you and focus on those few things. It’s tough to try to have it all your first few months.” I play this conversation over and over in my head as I finally get into bed in the mere hours into the morning.

Trying to decide if I’m tired enough to go to sleep, I open every social media site I could possibly have an account on – my first mistake. I see my high school friends posting smiling photos from parties or in the food court with their new friends. Wow, that must be so great, I think to myself. Photos of my friends in what looks like them having the time of their lives resonate in my mind as my head hits the pillow. Why am I the only one who isn’t loving college? – This thought, my second mistake. The reality is, I’m definitely not the only one who isn’t loving college. So many times lately, I’ve been informed by those friends that look like they’re having the time of their lives that they, too, really aren’t actually enjoying college as much as it seems they are.

Too often we are misled by the highlight reel of social media, and that’s exactly what it is – a showcase of some of the best moments of our lives. However, social media doesn't display everything. It doesn’t show us the homesickness, the long hours of essays and note-taking, or the loneliness of being in a new city surrounded by so many strangers. This happens to everyone. Social media is great – it’s fun and exciting, but in the grand scheme of things, it may be hurting us more than we think. We take photos of the most exciting moments of our lives, edit them to make ourselves look as good as possible, and post them for the world to see. It’s imperative to remember that college is an adjustment, and these things take time. It is so important not to get caught up in how much fun everyone else is having and focus on yourself.

College can be tough, especially your first semester, and that’s okay, because it can also be awesome. New experiences, unforgettable memories, and forever friends are yet to come. College could very well be some of the best years of your life, but it’s important to let the chips fall where they may and, for the time being, accept that this is what it is. You’re not the only one that’s struggling at a new school, you’re not the only one who’s having trouble making friends, and your peers really might not be having that much more fun than you are. You’re only a few months in: keep your head up, focus on your grades, and be nice to everyone you meet – you never know when you could meet your best friend.