Dear Student,
Right now, you’re on the precipice of adulthood. Stuck between wanting to grow up and go off to college all the while still clinging to your vitality and friends from home. The next year is going to be nerve-racking and I won’t lie to you about that. Everything for you is going to change. But change doesn’t necessarily mean something bad. Change can be good too.
When the end of the summer comes, you’re going to begin to say goodbye to friends. These are the people who have most likely been with you throughout your entire life. They watched you in your awkward phases, your teenage rebellion phases, and your utterly “you” phases. Some of these people will give you their last goodbye as friends. Not because they don’t care, but because people grow apart. Especially in these next few months when you become an entirely new person. But along the friends you lose, you’ll also realize which ones are worth keeping. If they’re meant to be in your life, you’ll find ways to make the friendship last. Our generation is lucky in the fact that we have outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat to help us keep in touch.
But along with the friends you’ll lose, you also have the opportunity to make new friends as well. College freshmen have the unique opportunity to make friends quickly. Most incoming students don’t know other people so you’re forced into kinship through close living proximity. While it may seem nerve-racking now, just wait. It won’t be nearly as bad as you think it will be.
Your first semester is going to fly by. You won’t notice at first while you adjust to your heavy coursework, but in due time, you’ll realize it’s already midterms then winter break. Your first semester is pivotal and things will continue to change throughout it. You may go through several major changes, realizing that engineering might not be what you want to do with your life. Your friend group will inevitably change. Maybe not entirely, but new faces will come into your life as well as leave. And that’s okay. Maybe you’ll join Greek life or maybe you’ll run for an exec position in a club. Whatever path you choose to take, it’s entirely yours. Your first year will be a blur but make the most of it. You only get to do it once. Make mistakes, be young, be you. Because in the end, this is your life. And most importantly, always remember free food is worth leaving your dorm for.
