Freshman year is when life begins to become fast-paced.

You meet new people and experience new things.

You find yourself as a person and learn valuable life lessons.

There are a few lessons I had to learn the hard way as a freshman.

If I could go back and tell my freshman self what I needed to know to become the person I am today, I would say these five things.

1- Don’t let yourself get stepped on

You are far more important than you make yourself out to be. You are not a sad story.

Forgetting about the people that treat you like you are nothing is the best option for you. Let go of your toxic friendships. It will pay off in the end.

Tell that person that you are sick of being used. Say it early, and say it loud and proud.

Don’t let people take advantage of you, and get rid of the people that don’t treat you right. There will be way better people coming into your life in the future.

2- Don’t be afraid to take chances

The rule is simple: If you do not try, you will not succeed.

Don’t pass up your chance to shine.

If you don’t take chances in your life, there are going to be many things you wished you did and you regret not doing.

You can do whatever you set your mind to.

Don’t let yourself become wasted potential. Work hard to do well in your life.

Try hard to succeed, and you will succeed. Do not give up on yourself.

3- Speak your mind

This is a big one. You are going to thank me for this.

When things make you upset and you want to say how you feel, say it. 

Tell that person how you feel. The worst they can do is say no.

And — going back to taking chances — a chance taken is better than a chance regretted.

Say what’s on your mind.

Don’t keep your feelings bottled up inside or you will let them consume you.

Don’t fall victim to your doubts.

4- Be proud of yourself for how far you’ve come

You did it. You survived to this point.

You didn’t let the bad things (or bad thoughts) get to you.

As said before, you are not a sad story. You are going to use those newly-acquired talents of yours and soar.

You will stand higher in life than you ever anticipated. And you will be incredibly proud of yourself for that.

5- Don’t take every minute for granted

Do not wish for high school to be over. It goes by quickly. You will wish that time could slow down.

Things will move so fast sometimes that you will struggle to keep up.

Things will happen that you never even dreamed would happen.

Don’t let all the time go to waste. Treasure the moments you have before they are gone.

One last thing — you will be incredibly proud of the person you’re becoming. Things will work out for you, believe me.

Don’t lose hope.