Since joining college, I have realized the necessity of growing as a person. College is the first real opportunity you have to discover yourself.

I always believed I knew myself, my passions, failures, emotions, needs and wants; but coming to college it all got turned upside down. I found myself questioning ideas I had never considered, and it became hard at times to remember what was truly important to me. I realized that I needed to focus on myself more, not in a narcissistic way, but to reconnect and develop a relationship with myself. Since then, I have really learned that college is all about health and happiness, which really go hand-in-hand.

You don't have enough time in college (or life) to always be doing what everyone else wants, so instead you learn to prioritize your life and do what makes you happy. If there is something that constantly brings your day down or you find yourself complaining about all the time (other than homework of course), get rid of it! There is no need to ruin your happiness for something that oftentimes doesn’t really matter to you. The sweetest lady in my school cafeteria, who truly loves everyone, once told me: "Do what you want, when you want, with whom you want," and I cannot think of better advice. Obviously there are situations where you need to be there for another person, and you definitely should be there to help them, support them or comfort them (depending on the situation), but these should remain moments instead of being your whole life.

Health comes in so many different forms: physical, spiritual, emotional and mental; each of these forms of health is important and cannot be forgotten! You need to remember to spend time taking care of yourself, otherwise your whole life will get thrown out of balance. Your health is of the utmost importance; never forget that!

If you are doing what makes you happy and healthy, you will know it! You will feel good, inside and out, and everyone should feel this way. Stop fighting the urge to skip, be silly, laugh a lot, sing loud and smile until your mouth hurts!