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An Open Letter To My Future Self

Melanie Smith
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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WVU chapter.

 

I hope you are sitting in a coffee shop in a city, looking back on your college years with a smile. The best years of your life are just now beginning, but you truly became who you are now through your college days.

Being an undergraduate student, the real world seems so far away. But right now, you are living it. You know what lies ahead for me. You know the exact steps I am taking right now to where you are. Will it be messy? Probably. But you know I should not have been so strung up on “tomorrow”. You miss what is today for me. You are who I  (hopefully) strive to be one day.

Right now, I hope you regret nothing. I hope all of the Sunday hangovers, all of the all-nighters in the library and all of the mistakes were worth it. At the time, it seems so awful. But, I hope that one day those are the things you miss. Being a mess on Monday mornings because the weekend was THAT incredible, spending nights in the bar with your best friends dancing and going straight from class to a day party because why not? I hope that you took away positives from every mistake and made a beautiful thing out of them. Right now, mistakes feel like the end of the world. But, the time for mistakes is right now. I hope you miss those mistakes.

The little things are such a big deal right now. I hope for you, it’s the big things that matter. I hope the guy that kissed you and another girl in the same night is not on your mind. I hope your best friend who hooked up with your ex is not in your recently texted list. For Hell’s sake, I hope the number of “likes” on your Instagram photo is not what defines who you are. This world is so much bigger than this campus. I hope you know this by now.

I hope you’re the confident bad bitch you know you are. You will probably change your major seven times and your life is not how you expected it to turn out. And that is okay. How you expect things to turn out usually are not the case
 but your plans may lead you to bigger and better things down the road. I hope things are well for you now. If they aren’t, keep it in mind that you have time. In addition to that, college is hard being confident. You can’t help but feel like someone is always better. Prettier. Sexier. Putting out more. Putting out less. But by now, I hope you don’t care! I hope you know you’re more than enough.

Remember that guy that drank his weekends away and gave up on you? He’s missing you right now. I hope you are past all of the negative experiences in your life. A part of me believes you have found peace in the things you could not change and accepted things happened how they’re supposed to. You swore you were going to marry him. But if you did, you wouldn’t have your own life right now. Be thankful and stay grounded. Do not ever let someone define your worth
even if he has a gorgeous smile and great hair.

Lastly, I do not know who is in your life now. I do not know who came in your life or who came out. But, I do know that you have to take the time to say hello. Whether you’re traveling the world, or you are right up the street, take the time to call Mom. Call Dad. Call your high school teacher that takes the time to check up on you. Call your sisters. Write a letter to your advisor that was your rock throughout college. Make sure these people know how much you appreciate their worth in your life. They each helped shape the person you are today. And quite frankly, you wouldn’t be the person you are without each of them. So do not text them or Facebook message them. Say hello. Mean it.

Drink a mimosa for me, go to your morning yoga class, and wear your pumps. Embrace your independence and do not forget where you came from. As for me, I can’t wait to meet you one day. I’ll make you proud.

Sincerely,

My Present Self

Hi ladies and gents, my name is Mel, Melanie if you're feelin' fancy. I'm a senior studying advertising, political science and fashion at West Virginia University. In addition to my studies, I am the Campus Correspondent for the WVU HC Chapter! You can hear me on the radio at U92 FM reporting the news and hosting morning shows. If I'm not there, I'm most likely at the local Panera eating my body weight in broccoli cheddar soup or writing about the daily, awkward encounters I experience. I represenative of the college of media as an ambassador and the prez of the magazine club. Oversized sweatshirts and jean on jean are my aesthetics. Lover, not a fighter unless you tell me Joe Jonas wasn't the best Jonas. Laters, baby.
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  I grew up in Charleston, West Virginia. Growing up here I knew there was a possibility of going to West Virginia University my entire life. Although I decided to start my college career at the University of Kentucky, those country roads led me back to WVU in the spring of my sophomore year. This was also the point when I decided to establish myself as a Broadcast Journalist student. Since this point I have strived to become the best possible journalist I can be. I am currently working as a weekend reporter for WDTV-Channel 5 in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Prior to receiving this position, I worked as an intern with WCHS-tv/FOX11, in the summer of 2014, where I learned critical editing, interviewing, writing, and speaking skills. I worked closely with anchors, reporters, editors, directors, producers, and even the web team. Aside from the television industry, I am the Campus Correspondent for the West Virginia University Chapter of the online entertainment magazine, Her Campus. Another position I currently hold is the Social Media Chair of WVU’s Radio Television Digital News Association Chapter. In the Fall of 2012, I became a sister of the Alpha Phi Fraternity, in which I held the position of ‘Big Sister Chairman.’ My other passions include horse back riding, scuba diving, being outdoors, and running. I am very adventurous and I try to stay well rounded. My goal in life is to live life to the fullest and be the best possible version of myself. My ultimate goal would be to earn a spot as a reporter/anchor for Fox News, New York. I plan to graduate in December of 2016 and look forward to my future.