Dear Me,
It’s me from last semester. After your freshman year I came up with some things to keep in mind when it comes to the rest of your time in college starting with next semester. Two semesters through college and you have had your good share of great nights out, bad nights out, exam breakdowns, exam successes, happy decisions and regretful decisions. All in all, good job so far, but take this advice and make the next three years ones you will never forget.
Don’t be afraid to stay in some nights.
Sometimes relaxing and getting that much needed “me” time is the best thing for you to do for yourself instead of going out on the weekends. Give your liver a break.
On the other hand, don’t be afraid to go out the nights you planned to stay in.
The most memorable and eventful nights out are quite often the unplanned, spontaneous ventures when you decide to go out on a whim.
Don’t drop that class you're scared of.
I may not be guilty of this one, but I have had a few classes I wanted to drop, but, lemme tell ya, I was happy I stuck with the classes instead of dropping them. Don’t be afraid of not knowing anyone or thinking the syllabus looks hard -- you never know what you might learn and the difficulty until you try! You might find your new passion, who knows.
Save your money!
PLEASE. IF YOU HAVE ANY BRAINS WHATSOEVER, do not blow all your flex one month in. I promise you will regret this. You are now a broke college kid without a job and can’t really afford to eat out all the time or still shop online whenever you want a new pair of shoes. Make a budget outline and stick to it. Especially now as you are transitioning into apartment living and need to pay rent and buy groceries. In the long run it will be the better choice.
It’s Okay…
TO TREAT YO SELF! You deserve a whole pizza to yourself or even a venti Starbucks frappucino before you early morning class. Every once in a while it is really okay and can even make you feel better in times of stress or when you're having a bad day.
(Key point: occasionally).
Step out of your comfort zone.
Don’t be afraid to talk to people you don’t know in class or in the club you just joined; they may become some of your best friends! Go to that guest speaker you think might be interesting or volunteer at that all-day event; you might learn some really valuable lessons. And don’t be afraid to go do things by yourself either; sometimes trying things alone is the best way to do new things. It might be a little terrifying to branch out, but in the end it will be worth it.
Bring your phone or laptop charger everywhere!
This will be much appreciated when your phone dies and you need directions or have to submit a discussion board entry you forgot about before class starts!
Stressing out to the max will not help out your grades.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE get a good night of sleep. I can personally say that I let myself stress out way more than I should. But once midnight strikes, I am done. Staying up all night will not help you learn all the information you don’t know, and it wont help you learn that information effectively and in a long-term way. Take a long, hot shower or go exercise for an hour, relieve some of that stress and channel your frustrations into an activity that is productive. Take a long deep breath and do things one step at a time. Make a list of goals you have for the day and make those goals reasonable enough that you are able to finish them all by the end of the day. You’ll be happy climbing into bed that you achieved everything you set out to do and will sleep better because of it.
Say YES to new opportunities!
This one is simple. Join more clubs and try new things. Go on an alternative break and explore what interests you.
Keep positive.
Try to make the number of hours you study equivalent to the hours you spend on Netflix or Hulu.
This one might be hard, even for me.
Be confident in yourself.
Don’t be afraid to wear the clothes you like or the outfit you’re unsure of. Own that romper because, girl, you look good tonight.
Attempt to eat some vegetables at least once a day.
Veggies contain a ton of nutrients and vitamins you can’t get from a chicken nugget.
Drink WATER!
Water will keep you hydrated, clear your skin, flush out waste and bacteria, prevent headaches, keep you fuller (so you snack less), energize you and help you perform better.
HAVE FUN.
You only have so many semesters left in college; take advantage of them before you cant anymore.
Ultimately, maybe it is a good thing that you did some things wrong because now you got some lessons to learn from and an idea of what to do next.
In the words of Ice Cube, “Check yo self before you wreck yo self!”
Love lots,
Your Present-Day Self
