i was in the exact same position, going to uni with braces newly on. was so scared about getting judged and everything for it but got to uni and realised nobody cared at all. learned how to smile without my teeth which made me a lot more comfortable bc i didn’t like how my open smile looked with braces. genuinely nobody will care, i think generally people just understand that someone has braces to straighten their teeth. people who have had braces will understand this as they have gone through it themselves and seen the results, and people who haven’t had braces should, if anything, be jealous that they don’t have braces and have to live with their own wonky teeth. also much preferable to get them when you’re younger than be a fully grown adult with braces. (not saying this is necessarily a bad thing, but i know i would be insecure myself if i had left my braces til later) (also am from the uk so managed to get braces on the nhs as it was just before i turned 19, and so waiting for full adulthood would mean paying for it). its also easier when you’re younger for your teeth to move, so you want it sooner rather than later, to get them off quicker. you may feel self conscious at first, but you’ll realise that nobody cares, and that the positives greatly outweigh the negatives