Saying goodbye to my undergrad: A letter recounting my four years in university

Dear first-year self,

God, if I could only see you now.

Coming home from Carleton was the biggest decision you’ve ever had to make, but you already know that. So, I wasn’t too surprised when you instantly fell in love with Ryerson and all the campus had to offer—by the time you walked up to the shining glass doors of the RCC, you had made your first friend.

But, you’ve always been a people person, first-year self, and well that’s something I admire, you’ve gone through your fair amount of ups and downs with those that mattered to you. Sparing the details, some wanted nothing more than to see you fail and ghosted you when that didn’t happen. Regardless of the fact, over the next four years you’ll go through it time and time again until you think you’ve met your match, your circle of people, your go-tos. So far so good, but let’s just say you might be surprised at which faces are left cheering you on.

Through the whirlwind of academia, you’ve learned so much and created so many bonds with powerful people and wonderful teachers. Your favourite class will become Business Journalism, which you’ll take in third year and finish with an A+. This class is important because it’s the one that ultimately changed the course of your path from fashion journalism to business journalism. Who would have thought all it would take is an Economic Report and a Bloomberg certificate to pick your poison? 

Above all, thank you for choosing journalism. When you were six years old, you wanted to be a doctor, but you also knew that you wanted to be that voice for people who just weren’t loud enough to be heard. That’s where journalism came in, along with your impressive vocabulary. There are so many people who are glad that this is where you’ve ended up, and you’ll come to learn that down the road.

Before we keep going, let’s take a moment to talk about COVID-19, but not for longer than we have to. You could have never predicted that after second year, you’d never grace the inside of a lecture room again. Your biggest regret? Leaving that 6-9 early on the last night before things shut down, all because you were too tired to go to the Ram in the Rye with your friends. As a self-proclaimed nerd, you should have worshiped those last few minutes in class and then proceeded to down one (or five) tequila shots. But no one was certain of what was to come. I’d tell you not to hold it against yourself, but to this day you have.

You did it though! I mean, hey, you’re graduating with a journalism degree with distinction. Combined with a double minor in French and public relations is nothing short of impressive, especially while completing the majority of it online. If I could go back in time, I’d remind you to continue to give yourself credit for those good grades. While your intelligence has always come naturally, you still worked hard each year, warranting each grade and each smile that came with it. I know you’re worried, but you’ll see that you’ll do exceptionally well— you should be proud of yourself. 

By fourth year, you’ve built up a portfolio of work experiences, bylines and editor positions. Heck, you post an article on your Instagram story at least once a day! While your biggest fear is probably wondering whether or not people are reading your work, do not fret; it’s getting the attention it deserves. When you go out to bars, high school acquaintances approach you, letting you know they’re reading all of your articles and indulging in all of your posts. They’ll remind you time and time again that your writing is more than just words on a page; it’s impactful, soulful and addictive. As they should.

I know you’re scared of starting off at HerCampus as a writer among an older team, first-year self. What if I told you that by your fourth year, you’ll have been Managing Editor for two years, after being Junior Editor for one? You’ve helped create an elite team, reaching the top five per cent of HC chapters worldwide. Without even realizing it, the HC Ryerson community has blossomed with the strong team of execs, yourself included. Hopefully you’ll have fostered a loving team, one that will carry on long after you’ve paid your dues. 

These four years will fly by, whether or not you want them to. You’ll finish an internship at the end of March and you might stay up crying, unsure of yourself and what to do when school finishes. Let’s face it, academics are (and will continue to be) a huge part of your life. You’re hopeful to pursue an MBA a couple years down the road, but you might not even need it with what’s in the works now. And over each year, as your knowledge of business grew, so did your love for it, fuelling your attainable goal of creating a woman-led bilingual business magazine. Tearing down that glass ceiling and rebuilding it as a CEO is something you’ve thought long and hard about doing and you’re slowly starting to see these dreams come to life.

First-year Madison, I hope that by the end of your degree, you become so proud of yourself and what you’ve become. I hope that when you leave Ryerson University, you go exactly where you need to, whether it’s Montreal, New York or your big basement room in Mississauga. I want nothing more than for you to succeed at all you do, and with this degree, you’ve laid out the foundation to do just that. 

So go forth, first-year self, and follow the journey of this priceless experience at Ryerson. If I could, I’d relive it all one more time. However, all good things come to an end, and this happens to be one of them. 

Enjoy your four years, for they will come and go in the blink of an eye.

Signed,

Yours truly