Moving away from home and into a dorm, making new friends and beginning college are some of the most exciting things that a girl goes through in her life. College is liberating and gives you a sense of freedom, but it also comes with a lot of pressure.

When I was looking forward to beginning college in a new city and gaining a new life, the first thing on my list of priorities was to join a sorority. Growing up and seeing my high school friends at other schools joining sororities and finding their "homes" made me so excited to do so myself, and along the way find my best friends and sisters. I felt like in order to be happy and successful in college, I needed to join a sorority.

Before I knew it, it was move-in day at school and I could hardly wait. I was so excited to move in and start this awesome journey of college. After my family left and the excitement of moving in died down, I couldn't help but feel alone. I started to get scared and a little home and family-sick. But I kept convincing myself that once rush week started and I found the right sorority for me, I would feel so at home and happy.

The first night of rush week started and I spent my entire morning and afternoon attempting to put the perfect outfit on and just enough perfume and lipstick to be presentable and likeable to all of the girls I was about to meet. About two hours into the process of meeting all of the sororities and trying to fit everything about myself but still be bubbly into two-minute intervals I began to feel the same feeling I had felt the first night alone in my dorm: loneliness and disappointment.

I began to second-guess my own gut and argue with myself in my head: "This is what I have always wanted to do. I need to do this. I know I will love it once the rush process is over!" But I simply could not shake the feeling that this is not what I had hoped for. Maybe this wasn't what would fill the void I had from missing home, my family and friends.

That night in my dorm, I simply prayed and asked God that He help me get through the rut I was going through. I asked Him to please help me determine if this was right for me and to lead me down the path that would help me become happy and successful in this new place. The next morning instead of feeling excited and optimistic for another day of interviews, I instead felt at peace. I suddenly had the clarity and truth in my head that I knew to be true all along: I don't need this. I don't need a sorority to make college awesome for me.

I immediately decided not to continue with rush week, and to focus on school and making new friends without the rush process. The next week, school began and in my first day of classes, I met at least three girls who were very similar to me and are some of my closest and best friends today.

As I am starting my junior year of college I can't help but smile at the fact that I have made some life-long best friends, have remained an honor roll student, have an amazing major that I love, and have joined many organizations and clubs along the way which have all shaped me into who I am at this very moment.

College has been a blast. I am happy and successful just like I had hoped to be, and I didn't need a sorority to make it happen. I wish someone would have told me freshman year that I didn't need what society told me I needed to make good friends and a happy life through college, but that all I needed was some confidence and optimism. And that is all you need, too. To every girl who is starting college, or to every person who is embarking on a new journey in life, please just know that you do not ever need one thing to make your life happy or successful. You have the complete power yourself to make college and life awesome. Always be confident and optimistic and you will never rely on anything or anyone else for happiness!