Listen, we all want to be able to say college is amazing. And sure, your college years will likely make up some of the most formative and impactful ones of your life. Given the opportunities to make new friends, get involved in different activities and generally expand one’s horizons, many can say with at least some confidence college is pretty awesome.

But let’s be real: college is lonely, stressful, confusing and just downright agonizing. Adjusting to new roommates and classes can be the most isolating thing in the world, and even people with many friends aren’t immune to this. Late nights with grades on the brink of failure can test even the strongest person’s faith.. Your friends may be changing into different people than the ones you first were close to, or you may be growing as a person and moving on without them. In short, there’s plenty of valid reasons to feel lost and alone during your college years.

If there’s one piece of advice I could give to all college students, it’s this: be the friend to yourself that you want in others.

Throughout the good times and the bad, there will be only one constant: yourself. You are the only person who truly knows you, and can fully relate to your experiences. So, with that in mind, why spend beautiful, precious time being hard on yourself and wishing you were someone else?

Being your own best friend can be an extremely difficult thing to do. Humans are social animals by nature; we want someone to comfort us and confide in. But by building a steady foundation of self-love, you will always have the warm, positive feelings you need whenever you need them.

Being your own best gal pal can take the form of little things, like taking an evening for yourself and snuggling in with a book after a long day, or giving yourself enthusiastic finger-guns in the mirror when your eyeliner is on point. However, the big things are the ones that count the most.

Support and encourage yourself like you would a best friend. Advocate for yourself. Don’t let anyone treat you poorly, because friends don’t let friends take beatings from anybody. Know that you are great, and cheer yourself on throughout your day. Sometimes, there may not be anyone else there to do this for you. That’s why you have to know how to step in and do it for yourself. Friends come and go, but you will always be you. And that’s pretty rad.