It may be hard to believe, but before they were famous, a ton of your favorite stars were normal school students. And just like us, they had their share of insecurities. Take Sofia Carson, for example! The Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists star just dished exclusively to J-14 about her school days, and it turns out, she didn’t have the easiest time.

“I didn’t feel cool by any means growing up,” she told us. “I was a nerd in school. I wore little glasses, always had my hair up in a ponytail, was very clumsy and loved to sing and dance. I just never felt like I belonged. I got bulled quite a bit. There was a group of mean girls who always picked on me. They thought I was weird and they used to make fun of me.”

OMG. How horrible is that? And things got so bad, that the actress revealed she even had to change schools.

“I felt very insecure during that time,” the 26-year-old continued. “It was really hard for me to deal with everything. In seventh grade, I left that school and ended up going to a different one.”

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But after she switched to a new school, things got a lot easier.

“At first, it was a little nerve-wracking,” she confessed. “I wasn’t sure if people were going to be nice or not. But thankfully they were and I ended up having a really good experience there and I made really good friends.”

Although it was difficult for her, the experience definitely taught Sofia an important lesson that she wanted to share with her fans.

“Try to remember that you are beautiful exactly the way you are, no matter what others day,” she said. “What really matters isn’t your reflection in the mirror, but it’s what’s inside of you, and when that translates outside, it’s more beautiful than anything. So try to always take the high road, surround yourself with people who love you and know that your family will always have your back.”

You go girl!

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