In the blazing-hot Georgia July heat, standing on a football field, 16-year-old Natasha hears the drum major’s eight loud claps: “Band-ten-hut,” “tss,” and the band responds at attention. In the distance, she hears her marching band director; he was probably saying motivational words, but she was concentrating on not fainting. However, he did say something that day that has stuck with her: “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” I often remind myself of these words when taking on a new experience, especially when I was starting my first year of college.

The first semester, I kept to myself; I would go to work in the morning, then class, then right back to work. That worked for the first semester, but then I realized I wasn’t growing the way I wanted to. I wanted my college experience to end with me being more confident in my abilities: public speaking, leadership, and expressing my ideas. However, I was ok with being comfortable.

During the second semester of my first year, I started to work on campus, and I had plenty of free time. I thought, why don’t I join a few clubs? I joined clubs that helped me get comfortable talking to students on campus. Then I expanded beyond campus; I attended events at my library. I became a student volunteer for an HR association, and from then on I kept expanding.

I was learning something about myself with every new experience. I felt more confident reaching out to new people, speaking my mind, stepping into leadership and becoming Student Senate President, and being in spaces where I didn’t know what I’d have to offer. For example, when I first started attending networking events, my goal was to talk to at least 3 to 5 people and learn about their careers and what led them to choose them. Now, starting conversations with people, whether at networking events or not, comes naturally.

My advice for first-year students is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Your first year can be overwhelming with new experiences, people, and schedules. You do not need to have everything figured out, but challenge yourself. Attend that campus event, visit the career center, start a club, do something that will benefit future you. You never know how participating can benefit you along the way: meeting a mentor, a lifelong friend, or a newfound passion. Do it afraid, but do it proudly. 16-year-old Natasha may not have understood what “get comfortable with being uncomfortable” meant that day, but years later, I understand it completely.

Natasha Moore is a senior at Manor College studying Business. She is a Presidential Ambassador, former Student Senate President and a Mother Josaphat Medal recipient at Manor College.