A Letter To College Freshmen

I remember the first day of my freshman year of college. Actually, I currently am a freshman but just like reminiscing on old times. I was scared out of my mind, but trust me, it got so much better.

I got to move in a little over a week early because I'm in my university's marching band, and beating the traffic sure was great.

I remember on the drive being so nervous I thought I was going to throw up, but overall pretty excited and ready to move on to the next chapter of my life. As I stepped on the campus I was flooded with emotions.

I didn't feel like a college student and didn't realize that I wouldn't be going home with my dad. After everything was brought up to my room and all of my furniture was rearranged it was time for me to say goodbye.

I walked my dad to his car and gave him one last hug until late September. I told him that I was excited and told him not to worry.

I only was keeping it together for him. I walked back up to my small dorm room and the first thing I did was sit on the floor and cry.

I was an 18-year-old new college student.

This was supposed to be the time of my life. I was supposed to be ready and independent, but I was on the floor crying as hard as I did on my first day of kindergarten after leaving my dad. I was thrown in an unfamiliar place where I knew no one.

Flashback to after my first week. My roommate and I did not hit it off, I had no friends, and I had never felt lonelier in my life. I was calling my dad every day to tell him how miserable I was and pleaded to go home. There was no way I was going to survive a year of this.

Everything changed the night that I went to something called Bear Bash. It was an on campus event geared toward mainly new students to try to introduce people to activities and new friends.

I ended up meeting two girls who I consider some of my best friends now. I felt a little less lonely and better about my self.

These two girls introduced me to a couple of other girls and I soon was feeling more accepted. I suddenly had people to talk to and places to go other than my room.

I was feeling a little happier, and what I thought would be a relapse into depression turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life.

The only problem was that I still didn't feel comfortable in my own room. I ended up doing what was best for me and switching roommates. I now live with one of the girls mentioned before and suddenly gained a new roommate, best friend, and sister all in one.

I noticed that I was feeling happier than I ever had in my life before. I met great band friends, had a solid friend group for the first time in my life, and met a boy that I was absolutely head over heels for.

I was taking chances and feeling more and more successful day by day. I stopped calling my dad every day and started living the college life that I have yearned for and heard about.

I can truly say that this year of college has been the best year of my life.

For all you soon to be college freshman, I'm not going to sugar code anything and say it's all puppies and rainbows. College is hard and a lot of days you feel like giving up. There will be friend drama, there will be failed exams, there will be days where you don't even want to get out of bed.

It'll be scary as hell at first, you'll want to go home, you'll want to drop out, you'll be homesick, and you'll feel lonely, but it's so worth it.

My best advice would be to take chances, talk to people in your hall, make friends, get out of your comfort zone, and keep going. College is so scary at first, but if you stick with it it'll be the best time of your life.

Here at Missouri State I've met my new family and found my new home.