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Dear Freshmen, Be Yourself.

It's the best person you could be.

Kelsey Smith

Sep 06, 2016

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Kelsey Smith

If you follow my articles, you may look at the title of this one and wonder what I'm doing. I generally write about the wonderful College of Agriculture and its industry, but this time I have a different message to send: freshmen, don't lower your standards.

After the first two weeks of school, you have probably seen it all. Kids in your dorm are doing crazy things in the halls, you see everyone partying on the weekends, you watch people skip classes, and you wonder if you should do the same. You don't like your room mate, you're having a hard time making friends, and you just want to fit in.

If you don't want to party, don't. I can safely say after a year of experience that you don't have to if you don't want to. There are thousands of kids in your boat right now, and not everyone wants to get plastered every week. Go to those cheesy programs that the university puts on. Join clubs and organizations. Similar people to you will be there. Don't let peer pressure get to you now. You are in college and an adult. Make your decisions for yourself, not other people.

If you aren't a social butterfly, don't think you have to be now. By all means, don't lock yourself in your room and never come out, but you don't have to become an extrovert because everyone else is. Keep your door open while you watch Netflix or study. Be true to yourself. College is a time for you to be you. This is the time you have the most freedom with the least responsibility. That being said, you still have responsibilities. What I'm getting at is that you can find your style and find who you really are without anyone judging you. College is a time of free expression. There's people who believe in everything around you.

Express yourself. Stand up for what you believe in. Be true to yourself, and don't give in to the pressures around you. Study hard. Achieve what you never thought you could. You've made it this far. You survived high school. Don't cave now. I promise you that if you stay true to yourself, you will make the best friends you could ever ask for.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

Health and Wellness

To The Cheerful Person On Their Rainy Days, You Are Valid

The world is not always sunshine and rainbows, and you do not have to be, either.

University of Florida

181

Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

Ask friends of mine to name a quality about me, and one a lot them will point out the fact that I am almost always smiling. I like to laugh and smile -- not to quote Buddy the Elf in April, but smiling is my favorite! It is probably my favorite go-to expression. However, what a lot of people do not see is that I have my down days. I have days when smiling and laughing is a real struggle, or when I have so much on my plate that going out of my way to behappy takes more effort than I have stored in me. Be it a symptom of college and growing up or a facet of life, I cannot always be content.

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11 Ways To Live The Best Life You Can

Life is full of twists and turns, but you have to keep going.

Sam Houston State University

Life is all about twist and turns, sideways and which ways. Nothing is permanent, so we should take risks, and chase our dreams. We are taught at a young age many lessons that will follow us into adulthood. What we aren't taught is how to feel, and how we handle those emotions. We just have to figure them out ourselves, and that's not fun. In my 21 years of living, I have come to know that way too many people can't handle emotions, or the fact that not everyone is dead inside like them. When you're like me, and you have zero control over your emotions, it's hard to feel comfortable around people who aren't so in touch with themselves. As much as I would like to feel nothing at times, I've accepted who I am and the fact that I can cry over practically nothing. So, there are some things in life that you just have to do.

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Dear Freshmen, Be Yourself.

It's the best person you could be.

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The world is not always sunshine and rainbows, and you do not have to be, either.

It would be so much easier to just pay someone to do it for you

1. Figuring out when to start

2. Searching through list after list to get everything you need

3. Shopping for deals

4. Getting bins to put everything in

5. Figuring what you can’t live without

6. Going through clothes to find what you need

7. Finding out your siblings took something from you

8. Fighting with your parents.

9. Trying to plan things with your roommate

10. The fear of forgetting something

11. Move in day

Relatable moments from one of the best shows I have ever watched.

1. When you fail that midterm you studied so hard for.

2. When your crush finally texts back.

3. When payday comes around.

4. When you accidentally like someone's picture from 108 weeks ago.

5. When someone takes your unassigned assigned seat.

6. When your favorite character in your favorite TV series dies.

7. When that guy/girl you’ve been crushing on agrees to go on a date with you.

8. When you have so much to do, and such little motivation to do it.

9. When someone asks for your last fry.

10. When you try a new health-food craze.

11. When you get new clothing.

12. When you check your bank account.

13. When they're serving good food in the dining hall.

14. When someone tries to tell you what to do.

15. Or just your thoughts about life in general.

We all have that "I don't care" attitude.

1. Most students just take life day by day.

2. That means procrastinating, one day at a time.

3. College students don't mind dressing like crap sometimes.

4. In fact, dressing nice feels weird.

5. College students get so stressed that they contemplate dropping on a daily basis.

6. But most find another solution to deal with that stress.

7. And that solution can be pretty cheap. Anything over $5 is expensive.

8. One of the only things college students will spend money on is coffee.

9. College is just really expensive and you never forget how expensive it is.

10. But hey, we're getting a somewhat high-quality education, right?

11. We all really just want to pet dogs all day.

12. And eat pizza for every meal.

13. And stab the next person who asks us what we want to do with our life.

14. However, despite the stress and student loans, college is amazing and there's plenty of reasons to smile.

Thank you, April, for inspiring us with your wicked relatability.

Life is full of twists and turns, but you have to keep going.

1. Wallow.

2. Cry.

3. Get Angry.

4. Tell Someone You Love Them.

5. Forgive.

6. Let go of the negative people in your life.

7. Be yourself.

8. Swallow Your Pride.

9. Stop Freaking Out Over Your Body.

10. Say No.

11. Accept Love.

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