Everyone is a nerd. I don't care how cool you are, if you wear clothes from Urban Outfitters, or how involved you are in manly, sporty events; you are a nerd. I am a nerd. What's wrong with that? When did being a nerd or a geek become a bad thing? Since everyone is a nerd, no matter how much they try to hide it, why shouldn't we all just embrace our nerdom and be ashamed no more? I think that everyone should release their inner nerd, and here's why.

Being a nerd is awesome. Nothing is as liberating or relaxing to me as sitting down with some coffee and a pastry and watching a really good anime for a few hours, or playing "Super Smash" after a long day of classes and running around doing stuff. It gives me time to unwind while still being involved in something that interests me and makes me feel good. I'm not saying anime or video games is the only nerd thing you can do because everyone is different. Playing board games with friends, (Settlers of Catan is bae) or watching 1980s, "Star Trek" or talking about philosophy and debating with people or literally WHATEVER you like doing that may be "uncool," do it! JUST DO IT!

I am the biggest culprit of this suppression of geekiness, or at least I was all throughout high school. I used to always try to look cool for everyone else, conforming to the popular view of what's in style and what's appropriate to do in order to maintain your social status, and I was miserable.

Back then, I knew this guy who played football, worked out all the time, and always went to the beach and partied. He was THE guy. I had a conversation with him one day, where he revealed to me that he loved watching "Doctor Who." Like, he was obsessed with it, and spent a lot of his time at home binge-watching the show. "WHAT?!" I thought. How could someone this cool and awesome like watching this show that nerds watched? It was then that I realized what I must do; I had to drop my facade of coolness and embrace the things I had tried to hide that I loved.

During those years of high school, I threw away my love for anime and "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" and everything else I didn't want people to know I liked. But that day, I vowed to never be that way again. And my spirits soared.

Nothing felt better than finally letting go and doing all of those things I had missed so much. But, the craziest thing is what happened BECAUSE I did this; I made so many friends. All of the other people who had already embraced their geekiness took me in, and I made so many awesome friends who I still talk to today, and who mean more to me than any of the shallow friends who only liked me for being like them.

So, be a nerd. Geek out over the new season of "Noragami" coming out in a few months, go crazy about the new "Star Wars" movie, sit down and read "Anna Karenina" in one sitting, just do it! You will feel so much better just doing the things you love. And don't be afraid to flaunt it; let everyone know you do it, or at least don't hide it when people ask. It's freeing, and it's so fun. Be a nerd.