Anonymous

If you’re reading this, putting yourself out there can change your life. 

When I first came to UNC, I thought it would be easy. In high school, making friends had always come naturally to me, whether through sports or other school activities. However, that was far from the case.

Right when I got to UNC, it started. I was hanging out with some people on my floor, but I felt like an outsider. Like I was just there. Like the kind of kid who would be a burden to everyone else. I felt ostracized and didn’t know what to do. My friends all seemed to be having so much fun at their colleges, which had started a week earlier, while I was struggling.

I kept trying to put myself out there again and again, but all I got were surface-level friendships. I still found myself sitting in my dorm on the weekends while everyone else seemed to have plans and people to hang out with. It hurt seeing the fun they were having on social media. That had been me in high school, but it didn’t feel like me anymore.

I wanted more, so I started pursuing my interests. By joining clubs related to things I actually cared about, I finally met a friend. From there, she introduced me to so many more people. That was a year ago, and now I finally feel like I’ve found my place at Carolina.

The thing is, no one really knew what I was going through last year. If you looked at my Instagram, it would have screamed that I loved UNC, even though at the time, I didn’t feel that way at all. The biggest lesson I learned is that people often put on facades and appear like they’re doing fine, even when they’re not. One of my friends called me when I was struggling at UNC, and it helped more than they probably realized.

Always remember to reach out to your friends, because you never truly know what someone might be going through. And always remember, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Anonymous, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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