Dear Class of 2027,
A year ago, I was in your position. I remember feeling overwhelmed with college decision season and being entirely unsure of my choice to go to Florida State. Before moving in August 2022, I hadn’t even visited the school—and as someone who got into my dream school and wasn’t able to attend, coming to FSU filled me with dread. For years, I had envisioned my college experience in a very particular way: I would be in a big city with my ideal college environment. With my dream school out of the picture, I had to find a way to love FSU despite being completely unfamiliar with it.
One thing that I wish I had known back then is this: you are exactly where you need to be at this moment in time. I didn’t get to go to my dream school, sure—but so many of the people I have met and organizations that I am a part of are unique to FSU. I grew to love FSU and the Tallahassee community—it is an incredibly unique, vibrant space with lots of opportunities. Although not exactly what I envisioned, Tallahassee has offered me things that I wouldn’t have been able to find anywhere else.
Adjusting to the college lifestyle will be exciting and scary at the same time. While I was excited to experience living on my own for the first time, there are also challenges: operating on a college student budget, maintaining discipline, and balancing between social and school responsibilities. While it may seem like a lot, finding a routine that works for you and knowing that you can have fun and still get work done is a great feeling. Be mindful of yourself, take a step back when you need to. Use the resources available to you. You have plenty of time to figure things out.
That’s another thing I wish I would have known: take your time. I was admittedly a bit overzealous when I first came here, and I had a very rigid plan that I was set on following. While having a plan is definitely ideal, it is also good to be open to change—you never know what opportunities will be presented to you, or the different career paths that you can take. The class of 2027 is one of the most academically accomplished classes that FSU has ever seen, so there’s no doubt that you know what it takes to be successful. Apply yourself, pace yourself, and be open to new things—chances are, you’ll be just fine.
The media has a tendency to portray college in a very romantic way: one that glamorizes having a huge group of friends, roommates you adore, and being able to party every night without consequences. While that model might seem ideal, it doesn’t really reflect reality. As a student of color, one thing that I struggled with was finding a community. Many new students feel like this—to move from a familiar space to a vastly new and different one may leave you feeling displaced or unheard. The good news is this: you will find a community. FSU has a lot of student organizations that touch all areas of the student experience, and they are ready to welcome you with open arms when you come. It’s a two-way street, though: you have to seek out community to find it. And again, your community may manifest itself in a different way than you’re expecting, so be open to change. You will find where you belong.
College is a unique time in your life. You will have triumphs and trials, heartbreaks, and heroic moments. A final word of wisdom that I leave you with is this: everything that you go through will make you a stronger individual. You will go through a lot in your first year, but I guarantee at the end, you will look back and say it was all worth it. You will leave your first year of college different from how you entered it, and those changes—and I mean all of them—will craft you into the excellent individual you are destined to become. I am proud of you, and I can’t wait to meet you in the Fall.
You’ve got this.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest!