To the Class of 2020:
This past May, you walked across the stage and received your high school diploma after a long, four-year journey. Now it's August, and in a couple of days you will move into your new homes on college campuses and prepare to embark on another four-year journey. Making this transition from high school to college can be a very daunting challenge. Being on your own for the first time in your life, sometimes far away from family, can be very intimidating at first. You will feel homesick and, at times, might think that being away from home for so long can be unbearable. You will miss all the old friends you made back in high school and you wish they were there with you. But as you embark on your college journey, you will begin to realize why many people say that college will be some of the best years of your life.
College life will be a preview of what life would be like once you are on your own. It will be up to you to wake yourself up in time to make it to breakfast or, more importantly, your first class. When it starts to hit you that you are by yourself and your parents won't be there to help you out, you'll feel very homesick. As your first year progresses, however, you will embrace the independence of college life and almost dread having to go back home. And don't worry, you will never have to worry about feeling alone at college with the many different types of people you will meet there.
You can meet students with colorful backgrounds from many different cities, states, and even countries. There will be fellow students that you share the same interests with and will be able to know them on a deeper level than you knew some of your friends from high school. Also remember to try talking to as many different types of people as you can. Something you will realize as you continue to make these connections is that you can learn something from everyone. It won't always be the lessons you want to hear, but they can benefit you either way.
There will be plenty of challenges of course. From tough exams, dealing with financial aid and staying focused on your work, to relationships with your professors and other students. These challenges will come in many shapes forms, but the beauty of these challenges is that there is always a lesson to be learned. Some of your most vital life lessons will come from the challenges you face in this part of your life. You might lose a couple battles here and there, but always remember to take your "L's" as "Lessons" not "Losses."
Most importantly, your freshman year in college will mark a new chapter in your life. This chapter will start off with a blank page. This signifies your opportunity to write and your own story and not let anyone else define who you are and where you stand like in your high school days. College is where you can unapologetically be yourself. There's no more popularity contests and outcasts; you fit in by standing out, and you can stand out just by being you.
College is what you make of it, so make it great! Use this journey to mold yourself into the man or woman you want to be, and have fun while doing it. There will be plenty of parties and other fun stuff to enjoy, but it is also a lot of work, so make sure you get the work out the way first. And trust me, your freshman year will fly by and before you know it, it will be the end of your senior year and you will once again walk across the stage. Savor this stage in your life; build lifelong relationships, do your best, and most of all, be you.
Sincerely,
Cody J. Dallas, Claflin University Class of 2019
