About a year ago, as a college freshman at Cornell, I was required to make a short video project for my course. I focused on my disappointment with the early weeks of college: How I couldn’t have a deep conversation with others, how I couldn’t seem to enjoy parties, feel comfortable on campus or just meet people who I want.... I felt so lost and the worst part was that I felt as if I were the only one who was this lonely.

I tried every effort, but in vain. Then I poured my loneliness into this four-minute film I made called “My College Transition”. I posted it on YouTube, expecting only my professor and a couple of friends to see it. It now has over 274,000 views and hundreds of comments. I had viewers from all over the country reach out to me and express their experiences, thanking me for making them feel less alone. It proved that I wasn’t alone in my experience. It also showed how necessary it was for people to be open about loneliness on college campuses.

Now in my second college year, I see how foolish my expectations were for my first year. Expecting close relationships like ones that had taken years to develop was unfair to myself and the people around me. Going to college is a huge change -- so many students left the familiar comforts of their homes and were pushed into a completely new place. It was unrealistic for me to expect a perfect transition.

I slowly learned in which groups I felt welcome and included from my social life. It was hard! But by putting myself out there, I found so many communities on campus to invest myself in, and where I knew I would be happily received.

There are various kinds of apartments for university students to choose from. And here are some recommendations.

Located on the Milledge Road Extension, Brandon Oaks is composed of two-bedroom, two-bath apartments with decks or patios. Each apartment also features an energy-efficient heat pump, air conditioning, an electric range, a full-size refrigerator, a dishwasher, washer and dryer and carpeting throughout.

Brown Hall features spacious single and suite-style rooms on the Health Sciences Campus. Students choosing to live in Brown Hall can take advantage of living in Athens’ trendy Normaltown neighborhood while still enjoying an on-campus, community lifestyle free from the trouble of monthly bills. Rooms feature 17-position adjustable beds. Brown Hall is open for mid-year breaks, as well as winter break and spring break.

Constructed in 1961, Boggs Hall houses first-year residents only. The rooms in Boggs Hall are traditional doubles, home to two students per room. Each room is equipped with a sink and community bathrooms are located on every floor. Rooms feature 17-position adjustable beds.

Soule Hall is the oldest residence hall at the university and is the only hall reserved for non-freshman women. Soule Hall’s residents live in double or single rooms with private or shared bathrooms. Rooms feature 17-position adjustable beds.

The day of the end-of-semester parly in my son's fifth grade class was approaching. While the other kids seemed thrilled about celebrating their accomplishments by playing games and sharing treats, Jeremy hated the very idea of the gathering.

As he checked off the days leading up to the party，I noticed the way I had adopted to help my quiet child prepare for social events backfired ： the rising number of checkmarks felt more like a drum beating louder and louder than a nice way to get into the party groove (状态）.

In order not to raise the pressure too high, I decided to contribute something that was easy to purchase—fruit.

That big day came. On the way to school，I reminded Jeremy to make a purchase of some grapes. He chose the ripest bunch of red grapes, but insisted none of his classmates ever be able to detect he had something to bring to the party.

Then as planned at the school gate I said a quick goodbye and ran to inform his teacher about the red grapes in his backpack and managed to be out of the classroom before 1 could be spied by my son.

As I entered my own classroom a few minutes later, I set aside my worries and proceeded (继续）with my regular morning check-ins. Yet this time，I was more intentional(故意的） about taking extra time to help all of my students participate. Over time, I designed lots of techniques to make my quiet students feel more comfortable about sharing thoughts and opinions with others.

So, what happened to Jeremy on that day? His caring teacher performed magic in class. An unusually specific question： “Does anyone have any grapes? ” encouraged Jeremy to take out the fruit. Because of the support he received, he remembers that day with pride for his courage, rather than regret for his inaction.