Dear freshman self,
Hey, you! You’re super excited to move into college. This is something that you have dreamed about since you were little, and something that you have worried about for the past few years. You’ve spent months filling out scholarship forms, and you’ve agonized over financial aid letters.
Stop for a second and take a deep breath; think of all of the fun that you’re going to have over the next four years. Think of all of the friends that you are going to make and all the Taco Bell that you are going to eat (and maybe regret later). Your heart is going to get broken, and you’ll have some sleepless nights, but the nights that will be spent laughing with friends outnumber those bad times.
Also, you’re going to change your major. Don’t worry about what people say about it. What are you going to do with a Spanish major? Be awesome of course! This is your time to do what you want, not what other people want you to do. At the end of the day, nobody can take your education away from you, so own it. Not everyone has the opportunity to go to school and learn what they want. Never forget that this is a luxury that will benefit you for the rest of your life.
Please don’t be afraid to take on responsibilities and leadership positions because you will learn so much. You’ll probably get overwhelmed by all of these positions, but they will show you how to multitask (and maybe lose a bit of sleep, but hey, that’s what weekends are for!). This will also teach you how to say no. If you bite off more than you can chew, take a step back because your health and well-being are more important.
There will be times where you will break down and want to give up, times when you will be curled up on the library floor at two a.m., surrounded by food and papers. But there will also be those (sparse but magical) times when you do finish your assignments ahead of schedule and feel confident in what you have done.
College will be everything you make it. Don’t be afraid to struggle, but don’t be afraid to enjoy it because it will go by fast; enjoy every minute of it. Every struggle that you face will shape you as a person and will give you the confidence that you need in the real world. You have time to mess up and you have time to learn.
