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Goodbye, high school!
Graduation peers from its perch only a short distance away. You’ve already decided what comes next and are merely waiting for it to happen. During this waiting period, you have to deal with the standard butterflies and high blood pressure. I would like to alleviate some of your worries.
The first step toward a less anxiety-filled existence is to realize that you are not alone. Your friends no doubt feel the same uncertainty that you are feeling. Thus, if you’re worried that you will be the odd one out, you can stop and instead focus your energy on the rest of this article.
You can bet I had reservations about going to a college 3,000 miles away from home. Although change can be positive or negative, you shouldn’t be concerned that you will fall flat on your face. No one asks you to be 100 percent certain anyways. Take another breath and rest assured that what you are feeling is normal and expected.
Be confident that you’ll succeed
You’ve put a lot of time into your decision, so why not feel secure in knowing that you did your research? By being confident that you made the right choice for you, you will be able to enter your new environment without hesitation. Plus, things will be a lot more fun if you’re not constantly second-guessing yourself.
Be open to other ideas
If you enter a new environment without any desire to improve, you run the risk of alienating yourself from others. And that’s definitely not fun. Try to understand other points of view. (And remember that “understand” does not always mean “agree with.”)
Smile
Very few people give the smile much thought. I think most of us would be surprised to see the effect it has on those around us. Smiling not only increases your own contentedness, it also conveys an approachable image to those around you. People will be more inclined to meet with, chat with and help you. This is a period of big change for you. But there’s nothing to fear and everything to gain.
Good luck!
Mike Maturo is a sophomore at the University of Southern California. Article provided by 
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