Letter To First Year Self

The first year of college is an important time in every student’s life. It represents new freedom, new responsibilities, and new opportunities, and as such is ripe for many potential successes and hardships. While successes don’t always come easily, it is easy to appreciate their after effects. Hardships, however, can sometimes be devastating. Depending on the type of hardship, we can feel its effects for a whole day, month, year, or sometimes even longer. But it’s important to understand that despite the difficulties these times present, they carry lessons with them that shape us and help us grow as people. Below are some words of wisdom from upper class students to their own first year self. Read what they have to share and take with you the understanding that every experience, good or bad, is going to be a part of your story. It is how you respond and allow these experiences to shape you that defines who you are.

A Letter to My First Year Self:

You went into college way too confident. It’s a lie when everyone says, “the more confidence, the better.” You need to knock it down a few levels so you can discover yourself a little more. It’s okay to lack a little confidence.

Be confident in the way you dress, not in who you live with.

Be confident in your voice, not in your knowledge.

Be confident in what you love, not in who.

Speaking of love, don’t fall in love with your major… you were pushed into it.

You will learn that you like the rough-and-tough lifestyle of digging up rocks on the back paths of campus. You will learn that other planets are cool, but what about the one you live on?

The girl who almost crawled inside your car to say, “I like your backpack!” will become one of your best friends. The other girl that came busting into the basement of your dorm with a scooter in one hand, and her modern-day witch hat in the other? She will also become one of your best friends.

Another thing: don’t be afraid to go out and explore or eat a meal by yourself. You will have the time of your life anyway. Honestly, sometimes that time alone is best for self-reflection.

Because we talked about reflection… you are worth so much more than you think you are. There are so many who believe in you, and who want you around. Ignore your biologic gender, you are one of the boys. They will remind you of that all the time, but it’s good to know that yourself.

Work on your negativity. No one is out here to hurt you. You are not being judged or attacked for who you are. Remember that so many people walk around campus with headphones in, and they don’t notice you 95% of the time. No one knows your GPA just by looking at you, no one knows your story just by looking at you. But just know that you will write a whole new story based on your experiences here.

I want to write to you again when I walk for graduation. We are sitting on the same stool today as we did when we found out we were originally denied from UWRF. Look at where we are now, though. That same stool is in your current dorm room now, and so is your best friend. You are going to your future senior geology class in 30 minutes where you’ll still be anxious, because that’s who you are, but you will smile by the end of class because you love all the people in that room. It’s the Spring semester of 2019, and you’re still hiking that mountain. You will hike it for a little while still, but I can’t wait to write to you again when we are graduated.

-Damon, Sophomore

 

Dear Ben,

Senior year of high school was a heckuva time, huh? Are you ready to dive into the college experience, despite the butterflies in your stomach? Great! Because you are going to go through the best, most trying time of your life, and you are going to meet the best people you have ever known. You are going to become an icon (to some), a mentor to others, and a meme to the rest. Buckle up, Buckaroo, because this is going to be dramatic.

Let's start with this: you are going to evolve in a way where folks will not believe you when you say that you are an introvert. You are going to get to know more people than you have ever talked to before. In fact, this is going to become a joke among you and your friends. Put in the work, and you will see your efforts bear fruit! You will meet so many new people, with new identities and from different backgrounds, and you are going to learn a LOT about social interactions. Be ready. Ready to embrace the changes, of course, but be ready to put yourself out there! You are going to become an actor (and get paid for it at least once, so technically a professional) and run an improv troupe! You are going to cement your role as the center of attention...and you are also going to learn why that is not always a good thing.

You are going to learn how to lead from the back of the group, to let others take the spotlight and make their skills shine while you serve as their safety net. You are going to be a pillar for many people, so be strong. Not only for yourself, because this ride is going to be wild, but for those who surround you. Believe it or not, you are going to be a role model for others, even when you feel like you are at your lowest. People will turn to you and you will have to learn how important kind words and a hug are, and how far both can go. You are going to establish an entirely new identity, and that is not a bad thing. Keep your mind open, your humor on, and apply to be an OTL (you will not regret it, I PROMISE)!

-Ben, Junior