How one student overcame bullying in college
Bullying. It’s something that we all hear about: kids in elementary school being bullied; kids in middle school and high schools are being bullied; kids getting made fun of, called names, getting beat up.
It’s a terrible epidemic that we see every day in schools across the country. When we think of bullies, we think of the younger kids, the kids who haven’t quite matured yet, the ones who are out to prove themselves.
The sad truth is bullying does NOT stop after high school. There are still bullies in college.
My freshman year, I was bullied by the girls on my floor. I had nasty messages written on my door, dirty underwear hanging from my doorknob, name-calling every time one of the girls passed my room. I was left out of floor activities, uninvited to floor dinners and altogether just alone.
It was one of the saddest times of my life. I never thought bullying happened to adults. I thought it was something that people outgrew. I was so wrong.
At first, I thought I wasn’t going to get past it. I cried every day and every day I begged my mom to let me drop out of school and come home. My mom wouldn’t let me give up that easy, though, and I thank her every day for that. She taught me to rise above the bullying. I branched out and found new friends who treated me with respect like true friends should. I joined activities where I was welcomed with enthusiasm. I found places where I wasn’t judged, harassed or bullied.
It’s such a sad thing to think about: bullies in college when it’s supposed to be a time to find ourselves and become who we were meant to be. The truth is, some people are just going to be mean. Even in adult life. It just takes the strength and the willpower to rise above them and find yourself. Never let bullies define you.