Hey you,
Its your college self here. It hasn’t been very long since I was in your shoes. Only a year has passed but yet so much has already changed. Many people fear change, and it’s a reasonable fear because change is frightening. In college you will change no matter what. Your friends from home will change. Your relationship with your parents and your siblings will change. Your views and beliefs may change. You will probably change your major or your career goals and you may even change your hairstyle. All these changes can be overwhelming. All you can do is accept the fact that change is inevitable. Keep an open mind. Be open to the fact that usually things change for the better. There are a million things I wish I could have told you, while others you had to learn on your own. You made your mistakes and you accomplished so much as well, but you can never expect what you will learn in college. Sure there were times when you were wondering what you were thinking or maybe you weren’t even thinking at all. But now looking back there are many things I would do differently to fully embrace the high school life I wish I had taken advantage of.
School: I know you hate your math class, your English class and even your anatomy class. I also know that you casually spend the whole hour-long period taking Buzzfeed quizzes. Put the phone away because those classes help prepare you for the intense classes you will take in college. Always ask questions because that is where the depth of your learning comes from. Be sure to pay attention because soon enough in college your teachers won’t provide you with grade saving extra credit, they won’t call your mom if you’re failing and honestly they won’t even care if you are failing because the responsibility falls on you. While a lot of things may change in the transition from high school to college academics, there is one constant, your sole purpose in school is to receive an education. End of story. Don’t let anything jeopardize your education.
Activities: Take advantage of school events such as clubs, sports games and dances. Don’t miss out on these events because you will look back and wish that you had been there with your face painted half yellow and half blue screaming your head off with your friends. I know high school seems irrelevant but when you are sitting in your dorm searching through Instagram looking at all the high schoolers having so much fun at the big football game, you will wish you would have went in high school. When you go away to college you will appreciate your well-rounded high school experience and all the memories to look back on.
Friends: Friends will come and go but hang on to the ones who are truly genuine. Odds are you won’t end up at the same college as your high school best friends. Your friendships will fade and you will all make new friends in college. So my advice to you is to keep in contact now. Go to the sleepover and form new memories with them because there will be a better chance of keeping in contact later if you stay in contact now. Don’t let fights over petty things keep you from mending important relationships. You will make new friends in college and the odds are your college friends will be with you for the rest of your life, but don’t lose sight of your best friends from back home. Make time for them whenever you get the chance. Spoiler alert: You don’t want to let these friends go.
Mom and Dad: Your relationship with your Mom and Dad will change. They will go from telling you what to do for 18 years of your life to not having any control over what you do. They will miss you like crazy. Spend time with them now. Don’t cancel that movie date with Mom to go hang out with your friends. Friends come and go but Mom and Dad will always be around. Mom and Dad have given everything to you and I know at this point it doesn’t seem like they are on your side at all but trust me one day you will realize how much they care. You will miss them so much. You will be homesick and wish mom and dad were there to hug you and tell you everything is okay. Take advantage of the time you have with them now and always remember they are on your side.
Yourself: Above all, always believe in yourself. You will always be your own harshest critic. Give yourself a break. You are bound to make mistakes, but your mistakes don’t define you. You will eventually be able to learn from these mistakes and flourish into the person you always wanted to be. Approach life with confidence and happiness and you will always go far. So always believe in yourself because you are amazing.
High School is no walk in the park, but you will always remember the memories you make in high school. Take full advantage of every opportunity you get. I promise you it will all be worth it!
Good luck out there Kid!
Sincerely,
College You