Dear first semester of college me,
Hey there. I bet life is really crazy for you right now. It is your first time away from home, you are in a completely new and unknown environment and you are surrounded by total strangers. I know you are nervous about fitting in, making friends, doing well in classes and so much more. But hey, relax. It will all be okay.
In a few months, you will feel totally different, trust me. In fact, you probably won't even believe that the year is almost over. When you get to the last few days before finals and before you go home for the summer, it will feel like you just moved into your dorm yesterday. Time really does fly.
Do not worry about missing your family. Believe it or not, you will see them literally every month. Due to breaks, family weekends, random visits and technology, you will feel like you are home almost all the time. In fact, Dad is probably going to tell you you are home too much.
Do not worry about making friends. Join a lot of things on campus. Make sure you don't sit in your room and watch Netflix all day. The first semester is going to be hard. I'm not going to lie to you. You may not make friends like you thought you would and make that "group" you are going to have for all of college. You may only make one real friend, but that is okay. Quality over quantity, right? Come second semester and when you are more involved and comfortable, you will have acquaintances. You will not be alone.
Do not be afraid to get help. This is not your tiny high school anymore where everyone knows everyone and their business. You are in college. No one is going to look down on you for getting a tutor in Spanish. Seriously, get a tutor in Spanish. You know yourself better than anyone else. Go to the counseling center if you need to. Do not be afraid of judgement. Go to your professors' offie hours to ask about the topic you don't understand. Ask as many questions as you need to. Do what is best for you.
Don't worry about grades. You will do fine. You were a great student in high school, and you will do well your first semester. Do not be afraid to participate in class, even when there are upperclassmen there. If you get a question wrong, do not dwell on it. Move on. Try to remember to do our homework. Sometimes you may forget things, but do not stress out about it. Just relax.
Don't be afraid to be you. This is a brand new start for you. No one really knows you. You can start over and be the person you want to be and are supposed to be. Be outgoing and confident. Do not hold grudges. It is going to be really hard, but try to let go of the past. You probably won't be able to achieve this in the first semester, but you will be able to continue to work on it. Put yourself out there. That is how you make friends. And if you reach out and nothing comes out of it, just move on. You can do it. I know schedules and plans are your life. While you don't have to give that up, be more easygoing. Be carefree. People will notice. Try to be happy.
Do what you love. Paint, read, write, go out, whatever! You are in control of what you do in college. Join the newspaper and get involved immediately. Join the communications department right away. Dive into your major. The more you practice doing what you love the better you will get at it.
Most importantly, try to have fun. I know it will seem hard sometimes. But try to smile. You do not have to go out every weekend and get drunk to have a good time in college. It is hard to think otherwise, but don't worry about it. Oh yeah, don't worry. That is a big point of advice you need to take. You are going to be okay. I promise.
Love,
Yourself at the end of her first year of college
