As the end of the year looms over me, I've started to think a lot about my life. In addition to completing another semester of college, I'm almost done with my junior year at The College of New Jersey. I've managed to get through a busy year, and I'm going to be a senior when my summer break is over. Finals are looming over me, and I've also grown professionally and personally. As I continue on with my junior year, I've found myself reflecting on what this year has taught me. I've learned so much about myself from my junior year of college, and I've found some important lessons about life as a result.

I've learned that everyone goes at their own pace. Everyone is different, and we're all going in different directions with our lives. Our talents take us into varying paths in the world, and you don't need to rush into certain stages of life. I haven't secured an internship for the summer, and I've felt like my peers have accomplished far more than I have. It does get hard to not compare yourself to others, and it can seem daunting if you feel like you're behind in comparison to everyone else. However, I've learned that I'm simply on my own unique path in the world. My experiences have taught me that I'll be successful in my own way, and that I shouldn't worry about the future as much.

Also, I've gotten in tune with my emotions. In addition to having detailed conversations with close friends, my time at The College of New Jersey has taught me to be more honest about how I feel. I've seen that my relationships with friends and family are stronger if I share my honest thoughts about my life, and it feels much better to be true to my own emotional state. Through analyzing the situations that I've gotten into, I've observed what makes me happy or nervous. I have a much better idea of how I react to the world, and I can use that knowledge to lessen negative feelings. I'm aware of how I deal with stress and tough situations, and I know far more about myself.

Finally, it's not a good idea to judge a book by its cover. Even though someone looks okay on the outside, it doesn't tell you the problems that they're dealing with. Everyone has anxieties and struggles that they're dealing with, and you don't really know about the difficulties that occur in a person's life. People who seem like they have it all together might be as puzzled and unhappy as you are, and they have problems that they've hidden from everyone else. Mistakes and huge errors are common in numerous directions in life, and we're just humans that are doing our best every single day.

Overall, my junior year has taught me more lessons about the world. I've realized that people are unique creatures that have gone through different paths in life, and that I should be happy with what I've accomplished in life. Being aware of my feelings has helped me a lot, and I've gotten better with reacting to my environment. Additionally, I've also seen that a person's external image does not really tell you how they are inside. Everyone has struggles that they are facing, and you can't really judge a person until you truly get to know them. My junior year at The College of New Jersey has done so much for me, and I'm thankful for how it's helped me grow as a person.