College is the place you come to learn, experience and grow. I feel as if I’m not the same person I was when I showed up to Siena with all my things ready to start the next journey of my life. I’ve met people I never thought I would, learned things I never thought I would, and became someone I never thought I would, but I like it.

Going through these past two years has taught me things about myself and things about life that I think everyone should know about if they don’t already.

1. It’s okay to change your mind.

If you really liked something at first, but now think it’s not for you anymore, let it go. My first semester of my freshman year, I joined the sorority here at Siena. I was so excited for the new experience I was about to endure. But the more and more that I go further into it, I realized that everyone else was enjoying themselves and I was just waiting for it to be over. Whether it’s a major, a relationship or even something small, you can change your mind. That’s what you’re here for.

2. Give everything you have to what you love.

If you’re on a sports team, president of a club and a student, for example, you have to love each one of those things with your whole heart and give each commitment your time and focus, whether it be a relationship, a team, a club or whatever. If you can’t give it your all, then it’s not something you love.

3. Do what makes you happy despite what others say.

If you join a club that other people think is a waste of time, or go out and do what other people think is a waste of time, but it makes you happy, then do it. You have to worry about your happiness and what makes your life whole.

4. Don’t complain if you can change the problem.

Don’t get me wrong. I love to give a long rant about something that bugs me. But in the past year, I heard advice saying, “If you can change it, don’t complain about it.” If something bugs you, act on it. If you have the power to change it, change it. Don’t complain about it.

5. College is what you make of it.

If you sit in your room every night and never leave, college will be pretty boring. If you go home every weekend, college is probably not going to be fun. If you go out and hang out with people, join new clubs, play on a sports team, learn new things, college will be the best four years of your life.