College students are adults in training. Many of us depend on our parents for financial support or to help guide us through tough decisions.

But at the same time, college is our time to be independent dependents. We budget our own money. We cook our own meals. We handle our own schedules. We have our own adult relationships.

Being an adult means considering what’s best for yourself and others, but ultimately knowing when to put yourself first. This is the time when you have to start making your own decisions, such as where and with whom to spend the holidays, even if it doesn’t align with your family’s or friends’ desires.

Oftentimes, college is the first time we are fully experiencing these choices. We can try hard to make the perfect move, but at the end of the day, we are going to make mistakes.

Sometimes, those mistakes can really get us down. We might feel guilty when we mess up or unintentionally hurt someone along the way. When we do, older figures in our lives might reprimand us or meet us with hostility, wondering how on Earth we could have made such an error.

But here’s the thing. Every single adult has gone through this same phase of life. It’s important to remember that this process is natural and not to feel too discouraged. In fact, be encouraged. Making mistakes means you are growing, and growth provides you with the incentive to become the best version of yourself.