Hey Peanut,
First things first, don't kill me for using your childhood nickname in an article that's about to be published nationally. You may be taller, but I can still take you.
Secondly, congratulations! You just finished your final year of high school and I can gaurantee that whatever elation you feel right now is slowly starting to be overshadowed by the overwhelming feeling of oh my God I have to start being a real adult—what do I do with my life now and-
Stop. Right there. Save that existential crises for a time when you actually need to have it. Such as, when you graduate college and really need to decide what to do with your life.
Right now, you've just accomplished one of the transitional tasks in to adulthood. Take a moment and revel in the victory. Enjoy the last bittersweet summer you'll have at home, saying your goodbyes to your friends as they depart to different cities and even states for the upcoming school year.
Like most other recent high school graduates your year, you've elected to go to college. As someone who's just recently finished her undergraduate career (really, our timing has never been as impeccable), I feel like this is a good time for me to impart on you some wisdom that I've learned over the years.
And yes, I'm doing it in letter form, because would you really listen to me otherwise?
"School started at 8 a.m., I think I can handle morning classes."
Ha!
Sorry, but please, for the love of everything chocolate, do not con yourself in to believing this lie. Unless you are one of the vary rare and dangerous creatures known as a "morning person" -- which, face it, we both know you aren't -- this is generally a terrible idea.
Schedule classes 9 a.m. or later, if you can manage it. If not, then enjoy your beautiful new caffeine addiction.
"I can handle a full schedule my first semester."
This is probably a true statement. However, as someone looking back and internally wincing at their grade point average freshman year, I would say that taking a full course load is not the best idea.
Your first semester is going to be exhausting. Not only are you at a new campus where you have to relearn things such as the classroom layout and which on campus food place has the quickest line during the lunch rush, but you'll want to experience the social events and hangouts that your new college will be providing! You'll want to hang out with the new friends that you are making and be solidifying your social circle.
So yes, grades are important. So is having a well-rounded social life, and ultimately cutting back on your units at least the first semester to allow yourself wiggle room for both is quite possibly the smartest decision you could make for yourself.
Speaking of social circle...
"Bowling Club? Seriously?"
Yes, seriously. Colleges have dozens of cool and interesting clubs that are available for the student body to join at will. Centered around academic, professional, and social activities, clubs are easily some of the best ways to meet new people, expand your interests, and try something new.
So while maybe bowling club wouldn't be an exact fit for you, go out on a ledge and try something new! College is a time of pursuit, both academically and personally, and you may discover that you actually really like something you would have never expected.
"I have to major in ___ because ____."
Stop right there!
Your major is important, there is no denying that. It's the first step in deciding what you want to have a career in for the for-seeable future. It's with this in mind that I give you this next piece of advice; don't major in something that you don't enjoy just for the money.
Everyone, at some point, hates their major. The classes get tough, finals week is enough to add a dozen new premature gray hairs, and "C's get degrees" is the comforting anthem of the damned. Or at least, those halfway through a semester and slowly losing hope.
There's a difference though, between disliking certain classes and genuinely hating everything to do with what you're taking. If your majoring in something that is causing you to dread going to your classes, or are genuinely miserable at the thought of a future there, then maybe it is time to rethink your major.
And finally...
"Cs Get Degrees...?"
College is hard. Studying is something that can only be considered an olympian effort, and sometimes your head can spin from the amount of homework. You will end up falling behind at some point during your collegiate career. You may even end up failing a class at some point.
I'm not saying this to excuse you if that happens, but to prepare you for the reality that is college academia. You're going to have to work hard, dedicate time to your studies, and keep up on your assignments.
Because yes, while Cs do in fact get degrees, they also affect your GPAs, your applications to graduate schools and even post-graduate interviews.
College is stressful. It's not all perfection, parties and fun like how it may appear in movies and Hollywood. But, it's also not doom and gloom like how some students also make it appear to be.
It's a mixture of good and bad, of stress and enjoyment, work and play.
And, seeing the man that you've grown in to, I'm positive that your future holds nothing but greatness for you.
