As a college student, there are going to be things that you can’t account for; there are going to be things that you don’t know; there are going to be things that you need help with. I’m here to tell you that this is completely normal.

I won’t lie, when I came to Penn State I thought I could handle anything and everything to be thrown my way. As the opening song in the Princess Diaries said it best, “I’m super girl, and I’m here to save the world. But I don’t know who’s going to save me.” You can probably guess that I was shocked and disappointed in myself when I encountered my first large failure. I had taken the wrong bus home, coming back from downtown. Although it was only a small deal, in my mind the world had ended. In addition, I later found out that there is no such thing as the wrong bus when it comes to the Blue Loop or White Loop; but simply better options.

I tell you this story not to scare you; but to prepare you. You’re going to make mistakes. Some of them you’ll be able to control, like failing your first exam for Statistics 200. And some of them you won’t be able to control, like having a pipe leak into your room and being forced to leave your room for a day or two.

Over the past few months, I’ve been asking my friends who are upperclassmen if college gets easier? Do we ever figure it out? They’re answer has always been something to the tune of. “It never gets easier necessarily, but you make your own way and figure out what is best for you.”

I want you to enjoy every second of your Penn State experience; make friends, join clubs, wave to Saquon Barkley if you see him walking down the street. However, there will be things that happen to you that you never thought could. Sometimes those surprises are going to be you securing an internship your second semester of Freshman year, but other times that could mean you unknowingly ran out of meal points within three months (thanks to The Creamery and Chik-fil-a). Don’t be afraid to run into the unknown, embrace it.