It is not difficult to find some TED talk or inspirational article online talking about the positive benefits of change. We all know change is an important part of life, but I want to talk about how college is, inevitably, going to change who you are. 
There has been quite a bit of attention in the media in the past few years about how universities across America are “indoctrinating” students into certain schools of thought. In fact, there are entire organizations which have been formed to combat this perceived issue.
According to the website for one such organization, Turning Point USA, they attempt to address what they think is a pervasive liberal bias on college campuses. They have gone so far as to create a “Professor Watch List,” which is aimed at allowing college students to check if any of their professors have been found to “advance a radical agenda in lecture halls.” 
While I take organizations and projects such as this one with a large grain of salt, I know there are parents and perhaps some students who feel as if this is a major problem. I say all this to call attention to one type of change which is going to occur while you are in college: some of your political stances you hold now may not be the same at the end of your time here.
To be clear, this is not a bad thing. I for one can say the way I see the world quite differently from how I viewed it four years ago. I can also adamantly say while I have disagreed with the thoughts of several of my professors here, I have never once felt pressured to conform to their ways of thinking. In fact, most of your professors here will just be ecstatic you did the readings for class, much less adapt your whole worldview to theirs.
I wanted to discuss how your political beliefs may change while you are here simply because there are a lot of misconceptions about it, but there are many other ways in which you may find yourself changing. Obviously, you will be meeting new people in college, and you are going to be forced to *gasp* make new friends, and not just hang out with the people you knew from high school.
According to a NPR article by Anya Kamenetz, academic research at Dartmouth has shown strong friend groups can actually play a key role in a student’s academic success. All of these new people coming into your life might even end up being much closer to you than your high school friends did. 
Being at the end of my four years here, my recommendation is to embrace all the changes which are going to be coming your way. Whether it is a new friend group, taking a class you never thought you would enroll in or maybe joining a campus group you are not very familiar with, all of it will be invaluable to you. Even if these attempts end up going south on you, there are still ways to learn from them and to move forward. Sometimes, classes or work experience will not go the way you want, and sometimes a friend will unexpectedly walk out of your life. 
Nevertheless, whether or not your plans for college work out perfectly or if you find yourself on a completely different path after a couple of years, never let a fear of change hold you back. Almost no one has their life perfectly mapped out at 18, and if they think they do, they are most likely fooling themselves. Whether it is your politics, your major or your friends, embrace all the changes you have waiting in front of you. You will be much better off for doing so.