I still remember every detail of the day I got my UC Berkeley acceptance letter — the happiness, the pride and, most vividly, the fear that I would not be good enough to survive here.

It’s an ironic thing we feel here at UC Berkeley. Surrounded by some of the brightest minds in the country, we feel as though we are not good enough — not talented enough, not smart enough, not accomplished enough. The fear and anxiety can hit you at the most unexpected moments. It’s too easy to feel average here, in a place that is supposed to be the pathway to our goals and aspirations.

I struggled with this fear throughout my years in college. I always felt like I wasn’t doing enough, and when I had enough on my plate, I thought that I didn’t deserve the successes I had earned. I added line after line to my LinkedIn profile but still felt a sense of hollowness.

For the longest time, I believed that this struggle was my own. That I was the only one who felt average, the only one who was fighting against myself to believe that I could succeed at a college where everyone was used to being the best.The thing about feeling inadequate is that it is incredibly hard to share what you are experiencing with anyone else. That’s why I was surprised when I found out that someone close to me was feeling the same way, and even more surprised that it was one of my most accomplished friends. I always thought that everything came easily to her, because she made everything she did seem so effortless.

As I was sitting in Caffe Strada comparing notes for an upcoming midterm with this friend, she broke down into tears. The cause of her worry shocked me — she was watching her friends land internships and having success after success, and she felt like she was on a path leading nowhere.

To this day, it still hurts me to think that she believed she was not good enough to compete with her peers. This was one of my closest friends, someone whom I admired and aspired to be like. On that warm spring day on a bench across from the campus we both loved, I assured her that she would be fine, that this was just a minor setback in the grander scheme of things. I may have assuaged her fears in the moment, but if I could go back, I would say so much more.

This next paragraph is to that friend I hugged and comforted, to my younger and more fearful self and to everyone at this amazing and challenging university who may be struggling to find their place:

Throughout your time here at UC Berkeley, understand that there are moments when you will fail and moments when you will succeed. Take comfort in the fact that your peers are experiencing the same ups and downs, even though they may not be comfortable with sharing their struggles openly. Realize that you deserve to be here and that you are capable of succeeding — even thriving — at this school.

I’d like to leave you with a few parting thoughts about my time at UC Berkeley.

To my fellow graduates: As we graduate this spring and take the first steps into adulthood outside of college, know that you are worthy and immensely capable.

To the soulmates I’ve met in college: We may lose touch over the years as life pushes us in new and frighteningly different directions, but just know that I will never stop being there for you. You made Berkeley my second home. Our friendship may not seem as bright and explosive as it was when we lived mere minutes from one another, but the feelings I have for you will never fade. You know who you are, and please understand that even though the frequency of our conversations may dissipate, my love and appreciation for you never will.

To my alma mater, UC Berkeley: I didn’t think it was possible to change so much over the course of just a few years. The education I received here was of the highest quality, but it’s what I learned outside of the classroom that will stay with me. Thank you for pushing me to experience more and allowing me to test my limits in every way possible.

To my parents: Thank you for everything I am — for raising me with the values that you did and for showing me the importance of hard work and fighting for what you deserve. I may legally be an adult, but you never fail to make me feel as unburdened as I was as a child, before all the responsibilities set in.

Go Bears!

Rhea Goveas joined The Daily Californian as an account executive in spring 2016 before becoming national sales manager in fall 2016 and spring 2017. She is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.