marlysmartinkus

My name is Emma, I’m 18, and I’m a first‑year student. I’m just starting to get used to university life, to new people, long corridors, unfamiliar classrooms, and the feeling that now almost everything depends on me.

I’ve always been a person who thinks too much and notices things that others pass by. I find it interesting to observe people, listen to their stories, notice small details, and find meaning even in the most ordinary things. I guess that’s why I like writing — sometimes a few lines in my notes say more about me than a long conversation.

In the morning, I love walking to the university with music in my headphones and a cup of coffee in my hand. At such moments, the city seems somehow especially beautiful: someone is hurrying to class, someone is laughing with friends, someone is thoughtfully looking at their phone. And I catch myself thinking that each of these people has their own story, about which I know nothing.

In my backpack, you can usually find a notebook, a charger, headphones, and a couple of things I promised myself not to lose. In the notebook, there are random thoughts, phrases, ideas, and plans that sometimes just stay as plans. But I like to keep them. Maybe one day, one of those thoughts will turn into something real?

Of course, I get tired too. Sometimes I want to turn off my phone, cancel all my plans, and just be alone. Sometimes it feels like everyone around me already knows what they want from life, while I’m still trying to figure out exactly where I’m going. But, I guess, at 18, it’s normal not to have all the answers figured out.

I’m learning to be independent, to make mistakes, and not to be afraid to start over. I’m learning to trust myself, to say what I think, and not to compare my path with someone else’s. I still don’t know what my life will be like in a few years. But I know that I want to live it to the fullest — to feel, to try, to love, to dream, and to leave something of my own behind.

I’m 18. I’m just beginning to get to know myself and this vast world. And perhaps the most wonderful thing right now is precisely that there’s still so much ahead that I can’t even imagine yet.