Becoming Her in Your Own Time

By Marceline Nguyen

May 3, 2026

There is something no one really tells you about college. You are not just studying or building a career, you are slowly becoming a completely different version of yourself.

Some days you feel like you have everything together. You plan your schedule, go to class,

drink your coffee, and feel like you are exactly where you are supposed to be. But other days

feel confusing. You question your major, your goals, even the version of yourself you thought

you would become.

For me, it looked like realizing that the path I chose at the beginning did not feel right

anymore. It looked like thinking about switching majors, starting over, and wondering if I was

falling behind while everyone else seemed so sure of what they were doing.

And honestly, that is normal.

There is so much pressure to have everything figured out, especially when you see other

people who seem so confident and certain. It can feel like you are the only one who is

unsure, the only one who is rethinking everything. But the truth is, a lot of us are quietly

doing the same thing.

Becoming the person you want to be is not something that happens overnight. It takes time,

reflection, and sometimes the courage to make decisions that feel scary, like changing

directions or choosing a path that is not what you originally planned.

You are allowed to change your mind. You are allowed to choose a different path. You are

allowed to grow out of the version of yourself you thought you had to be, even if it means

starting over or feeling a little lost for a while.

Becoming her is not about being perfect. It is about choosing yourself again and again, even

when things feel uncertain, even when you are worried about the future, your classes, or

whether you are doing enough.

And one day, you will look back and realize that all those moments of doubt were actually

the beginning of something beautiful.