Old Friends

I came to college to have new experiences, make new friends, and to be different from what I was in high school.

I think a lot of people share the feeling at the end of high school- that “I want to get out of here and never come back” feeling.  I wasn’t one of those people, I loved my high school years. Don’t get me wrong, I was ready for them to end, but I wanted to maintain a connection to to my friends and my life at home.

I did, however, want some change in myself. In high school I felt like I never really broke out of my shell; I was the quiet, smart girl who people knew was nice. My close friends may have understood more about me- but I never was able to impact a lot of people.

So over the last few years in college, I have made an effort to synchronize the perception of who I want people to see me as, and who I am. Now people know I’m the smart, nice girl who is really passionate about what she does and isn’t afraid to go after her dreams. She values family and friendship- and prides herself on her ability to keep in touch with others. I’m finally confident and self-assured ( just so I can head to the real world to mess that all up again 🙂 ).

But even though people say college is a big growing experience, and it is, I’m not that much different from myself in high school. I have become the person I’ve wanted to be- but I still seem to be the same person I was.

The friends I made in high school are still my friends today. Although we haven’t been together in the same town for a long period of time, I have managed to keep in touch with a number of them, and for that I am very thankful. I know for a fact that my college friends and high school friends would get a long, and that I can easily form friendships with my college friends’ high school friends, to form a great big circle of people I care about.

I guess my point is- college doesn’t change you. You’re still yourself, just better.