Going into college, I thought I was confident in myself. I truly didn’t know how much I would grow. Maybe this experience isn’t universal. I have definitely been blessed by being surrounded by strong confident women throughout my college career. Even as friend groups have evolved and changed, I have been able to learn and grow with the wonderful women around me. I have found that my confidence has manifested in many different ways. Not only am I more comfortable with myself as a person but, I am better equipped to handle whatever situations are thrown at me.
I definitely have experienced more as a person since coming to college, and that definitely contributes to my growth. I have seen myself evolve into a much more objective thinker. I have encountered situations that have hurt me, and I’ve grown from them. Whether socially or academically, I am more sure of myself in all that I do.
I think that whether or not we notice it, we all gain a certain level of confidence within ourselves as we come to college. Not only are we growing as people, but we’re also encountering situations that we might never have before. It’s natural to grow, and I think all the struggles that my peers and I have met within the past year have at least made us more confident – even if we don’t see it.
As I spoke to my friends in preparation for this article, we discussed the ways we have evolved over the past year and a half. We all saw different changes but, almost all were positive. We found more comfort in ourselves and our abilities to combat whatever we need to. I think there is an element to our confidence that stems from the anonymity that a large school like BU provides. We’ve come to find comfort in the fact that we are one of many at this school, we don’t need to worry about what every single person thinks of us.
This aspect of anonymity can be comforting because we don’t have to be afraid of making mistakes; we don’t have to worry about whether or not everyone likes us. We are free to be undeniably ourselves, unafraid and unabashed of who we are. I definitely think that in some ways we have created this space ourselves, we have allowed one another to test themselves and grow, and for that, I am thankful.
I like to think that I’m still growing and changing, I hope to continue to evolve as both a student and a woman. But, as I grow older and move through my college career, I have been able to settle into who I am. I’m not proving myself to anyone but me, and I’m comfortable with that.
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, and read our latest Tweets!