As a college student, I see my fair share of "interesting" things. I mean, who doesn't love the guy in his truck blasting his train horn at 3:30 am on a school night? But in all seriousness, the thing I see the most that people struggle with in college isn't their grades or social commitments, it's themselves.

What do I mean by that? Well, according to a study, 44% of college students struggle with depression symptoms, while 75% of students do not seek help for them. Depression is a serious thing, I know because I have it, but you can be yourself and make yourself better while having it. That's what I want to jump into with this article, I see lot's of people with different stories and diverse backgrounds struggling with themselves, but they all have one thing in common, and that is they can get better.

People always claim that if they focus on themselves that they must mean they are "selfish." However, that is simply not the case. A key thing to realize, while yes it is a great thing to be selfless and always there for others, you also have to learn to take care of yourself because eventually, you are just going to get crushed by your own weight. The goal in life is to become a better person every day in comparison to who you were the previous day. You have to be able to see your own improvements, though. Everyone loves positive affirmations like "great job!" or "Wow, I can really see a difference in your attitude," but if you cannot see these things and are relying on others to notice them, you will be disappointed.

Here are couple ways to better yourself so that you will notice changes, will become happy with yourself, and won't feel that huge need for people to affirm everything you do:

1. Be true to who you are and who you want to be.

The biggest mistake people make they try to please others and try to become what they feel other people want them to be. All of you has your own particular beliefs that you hold dearly, and all of you are unique in your own way. Don't try to deviate from those things. Embrace them and be the person YOU want to be. You will become so much happier in life when you finally become pleased with who YOU are and the progress you've made.

2. Independence is a great thing.

This is a tough one. Everyone wants to feel loved, feel included, and feel like they just are accepted with everything to do. This is all true, but at what point do you stop searching for others' approval to be happy? It is a slippery slope to overcome once you are on that path. The best thing to focus on is to learn to be able to self-motivate, self-diagnose problems and be able to find ways to pick yourself up and put a smile on your face. I am in no way shape or form saying you shouldn't go to people for advice or when things are tough. I go to my grandfather all the time. That man is my rock. He knows exactly what to say and how to say it to get my attention. But, he taught me to be able to fend for myself. I have lots going on in my life, but I don't call him about every single thing. We talk about 2 times a month. So, if you can get yourself to be able to help yourself and only go to people every so often when you are in need of guidance, then you are on the right path.

No matter what you do or where you go, just know that you are a special, talented person who can do anything you want. You have the power to overcome any obstacle, and most importantly, you have the power to do these things on your own. Always be true to yourself and don't back down if someone is on your case about your beliefs. Find a mentor who you can go to from time to time when you need guidance.

Work hard, play hard. Nothing is stopping you from getting ahead in life, you just have to go out and do it! Let's kick some ass, folks. God bless.