Dear Freshman Me,
So Mom and Dad just left, and now it’s just you and your roommate. It’s exciting, huh? You’re about to start your first day of college, and you’re a little nervous. Your life is changing. It’s a lot; I know. Don’t worry. These really are the best four years of your life.
That roommate of yours, she’s going to be your new best friend. You’ll do everything together, from shopping at Walmart to 3:00 AM Cookout runs. She’ll be there for all the funny moments and Doctor Who marathons. She’ll teach you how to be a better person and how to have confidence in yourself. When she leaves, you’ll be sad for a while, but it gets better. There is someone else that needs you just around the corner.
When you meet her, you won’t know how important she is, and you’ll think nothing of your first interaction. As the months go on, you’ll start hanging out with her more, until you do everything together. You’ll have too many inside jokes to count and find yourself quoting Vines from 2016. She’ll be your new roommate as you move off campus, and pretty soon, your nights will consist of Sims 3 and microwave brownie mix.
And let’s not forget about your old friends too. You’ll find that friendships from high school can survive, and amazing memories can be made. Days on the lake will become your new favorite pastime and you’ll gain a new workout partner. She’ll be there when you need someone to talk to at 2:00 AM, and she’ll know just how to help. She’s a keeper.
By the way, don’t get too comfortable in that major of yours; you’ll change it four times. Trust me, when you find it, you’ll go places you never thought you’d be. It will challenge you to be better, and you’ll love every minute. It’s where you are meant to be, but you need the journey to get there.
Finally, take time to relax a bit. You have the rest of your life to work. Go to the party; have a drink with friends; go on a road trip. When you wake up, and you go to your first class as a senior, it’s going to be surreal. You won’t know how time flew so fast or how you’re about to be graduating. You won’t understand how a year ago, it felt like you were 18, and now you’re about to be 22.  So, take the time to enjoy it. Make mistakes, go on crazy road trips to the middle of nowhere, go see the stars and read some good books. Dream big and work hard. Most importantly, make yourself proud and remember, as Dr. Gesler always says, “Go forth, be a good human. Spread the love and spread the positivity.” I’ll see you soon.
Love,
Senior Me