As a Binghamton University tour guide, I have gotten the pleasure to be introduced to a good amount of the incoming freshman class this year and it gives me joy to see students that are so eager and excited to be here!

With that being said, I cannot help but reflect on my experience as an incoming freshman. As a freshman, I was so enthusiastic about beginning college. As I planned the classes I was going to take, I couldn't help but smile because I felt such a sense of independence. However, coming onto campus, my stomach actually began to do flips. I realized I was truly going to have to learn to be independent. I was scared of not having my friends from home that I have known for so many years, not having teachers that forced me to pay attention in class, or not making any new friends on campus. All of the excitement I felt began to mix with fears.

However, as the days went on during my freshman year, I began to realize the importance of believing that it is truly the year in which you discover so much about yourself. Therefore, my first year of college would only be truly amazing if I allowed it to be. That is how I learned to let go of the fears that came with being an incoming freshman: the realization that I had been given such an amazing opportunity to go to such a great school, and i had to embrace the idea of making the most out of the experience.

With that being said, It is up to you to put yourself out there. It is up to you to get involved with new clubs on campus, be friendly with your new neighbors in your dorm, and find study buddies in your classes. While it may seem overwhelming at times, college is the place where I have learned to put myself out there. It is the place where taking risks and learning to be comfortable with the idea of getting out of your comfort zone is encouraged. There is absolutely true beauty in doing things that help you evolve into a better version of yourself.

Now, as I enter my junior year of college I look back on the classes that I took, the once in a lifetime experiences I have had and the absolute greatest friends I have made and I could not have been more grateful.

Therefore, my advice for you is to take opportunities as they come. Whether it is a chance to meet new friends, take a yoga class at the gym, going to your professors office hours, or an opportunity to better yourself in any way, now is the time to take it. This is truly such a wonderful time in ones life, and while words can nearly just attempt to describe it, the best way is to embrace and experience it.