How to: Deal with Changes

There are many things that one will experience in university, some being completely amazing and others being extremely challenging to go through. Whether if it's your first C in a course or first time going to a frat party, or even having your first kiss, university is the time to explore and experience dynamic aspects of life that will tap into characteristics that you never knew you had. Sometimes these experiences can even change you as a person. People don't realize how much they have changed until they think about their past and how their present self is much different than their past. Change is something that I've had difficulty accepting, even at this age, but it's important to remember that somethings happen for a reason and could be for the better. Personally, I have been through many growth changes during my time at U of T one of which was accepting failures. As a child, you tend to experience some level of failure, but during university the failures seem to heighten. When entering first year, I was one of the stop students in my class, but now I have to accept in some ways that I am not the smartest person or the most talented. I had to accept that I will fail a test or fail a project at times and it's okay to fail because it is a part of the learning process. However, I did not let these failures deter me from my goals, but used it to improve myself. Sometimes when experiencing change you have to think about the bigger picture behind it and be positive. These experiences help strengthen you and build character.

Another challenging change that I believe every person will go through in life, in one way or another, is changing friends. One thing that I have learned is that friends come and go like seasons and while in university you will have friends who you have met in the beginning during frosh week and then later will meet new friends. I think the hardest part is adjusting to the changes in your friend dynamics or balancing it. I've lost friends before and it's a sad feeling to be with friends with someone for a long period of time to then being complete strangers. It feels like you have broken up with a significant other, but during the process you also learn a little more about yourself and what you look for in a person when making friends. Each friend that you have had has added a unique experience in your life and as you move forward appreciate each one. These are few changes that I have been through during my two years at U of T and there is still more to come. Change can come in all aspects of your life and you will never know when it's going to come. When it does come, don't be afraid of it or try to cling to the past, but embrace the new chapter that is going to unfold and learn from it. It will only progress you into your future and you'll find that you have may have changed for the better. I know I certainly have and I love the woman that I am becoming.