Becoming The Real Me In College

By Delanie

Everyone always asks me, “how’s the college life treating you?” I just say, “it’s fine” and I don’t think anything of it. Truth is, college is great. You suddenly become a person who’s more connected to yourself. You explore different options and you try new thing that you might not like. You explore style, hair, sexuality, religion and beliefs, friendships, and identity.

For me, I began to accept different things about myself with each new day. I cut off my hair (shaved it actually) and realized I like it short. I also dyed it wild colors. I got a new piercing and I’m going to get more because I like them. I’m also looking into different religions like Hinduism. When people ask me, I tell them I like girls without any hesitation because that’s not something to be ashamed of and if I like girls then so be it. Self-acceptance is very important to me!

In high school, there was a “popular crowd” and it’s funny because that’s not a thing now. I was afraid to cut of my hair in high school because of what people thought. I didn’t speak out much or do many activities that required you to put yourself out there. Now that I’m in college, I stood on stage and spoke to over 700 people in “The Vagina Monologues”. Now that I’m in college, I’m more social and I’m expanding my horizons. I’m learning a new language, I’m making new friends who definitely support me more than the “friends” I had in high school. I know that I have support with any decision I make (as long as it isn’t dangerous and my mom approves). So yeah, college is fine.

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