Dear 17-Year-Old Me,

Hi. How's it going?

You are probably waiting by the door for college letters to come in the mail, and it's almost Christmas! It's an exciting, yet extremely nerve-wracking, time for you. I promise it'll all work out; you'll know what your plans consist of by March or so. Keep up the good work!

By the time the spring rolled around, you could not wait for senior year to be done with. That's totally understandable, as it was a long, long fall and winter. It seemed as though time had froze, and it was not the most enjoyable year for you. However, the light at the end of the tunnel was fast-approaching: graduation. You had been counting down the days since September 1, so the wait was worthwhile. You could not have been happier to say that you were no longer in high school. That is definitely still the case today.

Fast forward to summer '16.

That, too, was a period of lots of patience and waiting to get going with another chapter of life. You were so excited to go to college and start a new life for yourself. You worked toward this for 4 years, and you sure as hell earned it. However, the adjustment period was just as chaotic and confusing as your senior year of high school. It was its own kind of crazy, but it definitely changed you in ways that you would never expect. Change is not the worst thing to happen, though. Although it may not always feel right, it makes sense as to why college has affected you so much. You have been exposed to so many different people, concepts, and ideas that are completely new for you.

I bet you wouldn't have pictured yourself wanting to spend time at the library on a Thursday afternoon to get work done and clear your head. That's OK, though. Keep doing you, because you are doing the best you can. That is all I can ask for, and I hope you keep working toward improvement.

Believe me, you have changed in ways that I did not even think were possible.