So, I graduated this year. Big deal, right?

When I started college, I was drowning in expectations and terrified about suddenly being an adult. They told me that these were supposed to be the “best years of my life.”

What they didn’t tell me was that “best” was code for “stressful, chaotic, and occasionally soul-crushing.”

I walked into the College of Language and Media at the Arab Academy (AAST) with dreams of becoming a writer and creator, completely uninterested in the business side of things. It felt like a match made in academic heaven.

But guess what? The experience wasn’t exactly the Pinterest-perfect adventure I was promised.

You know the hype: College is where you make lifelong friends, discover yourself, and live every moment to the fullest.

No one tells you that you’ll also experience a rollercoaster of drama, betrayals, lost friendships, and existential crises.

Oh, and don’t forget the pressure to enjoy every second or risk feeling like a total loser for not making the most of it.

Looking back, the so-called “best years” of my life were really just all the years I’ve lived, including those glorious college years where I was perpetually stressed, annoyed, and on the verge of a meltdown. I met the crème de la crème of people—both the incredible and the utterly unbearable.

I also met the worst version of myself.

I came face to face with my own flaws and darkness, and through it all, I took full responsibility for choosing not to let those aspects consume me.

Instead, I worked on becoming a better version of myself. And, spoiler alert, she’s actually pretty fantastic.

Here’s a little secret: I didn’t have the most “normal” college experience—whatever that means.

But you know what?

I have zero regrets.

I don’t regret my mistakes, the wrong people I met, or even the lectures I missed because they were just that boring. Every single part of this chaotic journey made me who I am today, and I’m ridiculously proud of that.

If enduring all the drama and setbacks was the price for meeting the incredible people I now call friends and becoming the person I’ve become, I’d gladly do it all over again.

College was a wild ride, but it was worth every minute for the growth and the friendships that came out of it.

So here’s my unsolicited advice: Have your own damn experience!

Don’t play it safe.

Make mistakes, and don’t sweat it.

You’ll hurt people, and people will hurt you. It’s all part of the package deal.

You’ll make friends who are keepers and friends who should have come with a warning label.

Your heart will be shattered, and it’ll be a hot mess, but it won’t stay that way forever.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to college, so ditch the guilt.

Just make sure you learn from every single moment—good, bad, and gut-wrenching. Turn those experiences into something amazing. Turn them into you.

Congrats to everyone who’s walked the stage and to those just stepping into this chaotic adventure. Embrace the messiness, learn, grow, and remember: it’s all part of the ride.