Dear future college freshmen,
Since we were in elementary school, college has always been in the back of your mind in one way or another, ever since you found out that college was even a thing, and finally, as senior year is coming to a close, it’s beginning to creep into the fore front of your mind more and more every day. As a kid, the idea of turning 18 and immediately being kicked to the curb to figure out the rest of your life was definitely a scary thought. Although we’ve finally begun to grasp the general concept of almost suddenly becoming an adult, it’s still scary before you leave for college, and it can continue to be scary once you’re already in college.
There are so many aspects of college that seem impossible to be able to do on your own. Once you get over the hump of applying for and choosing a college, you have to start really preparing for the idea of choosing a major that may or may not define the rest of your college career, and most likely the rest of your life. But leaving for college isn’t always the huge defining moment where you go from being a child who depends on their parents for many things to having to be financially stable and have to learn to take care of yourself on your own that people always make it out to be.
College is, however, a big change in many ways. You’re definitely going to meet new people, have completely new experiences in completely new settings, and have the opportunity to figure out how to be independent and self sufficient in an environment with countless amounts of support from friends, family, professors, and everyone around you. The first semester of freshman year will undoubtably be unlike any other time in your life. Some days it will be overwhelming, scary or stressful, but other days will be the best days of your life and you’re going to make connections with people you never knew you could possibly meet. You're going to find new clubs, organizations and sports, and discover so many new interests. With so many new opportunities, you'll find out more about yourself than you ever thought you could.
So, while you’re sitting through high school classes that you can’t wait to get out of, and enjoying so many things in high school for the last time, look forward to the new chapter of your life that’s going to be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.
Sincerely,
Someone who's been there before.
