Letter to High School me. Letter to Past Self Dear high school…
By: Anusha Pandey
Tags: College, Past Self, Letters, Freshmen, Advice

Dear high school graduated me,

I am not certain if I will understand you and I mean it not in an abstract way but in a concrete way because the way you see your world has changed within time. It must have been a source of pain that no one could understand what went through you when your application materials were delayed, but trust me, someone will understand if you try enough. Of course, the world is based on harshness and logical reasoning but yours was full of speculative ideas so brace yourself, you might not be prepared for college as you think. It is indeed no doubt that some things will get you down, but others will turn out just like you planned. Either way, you will learn from every experience and grow as a person.

One of the best parts of your first semester is to get acquainted with the area, be it college or your living apartment, so keep an eye out for the college-touring over the break. I know you had a hard time figuring out the high school corners but guess what? Learning different corners of the college will also take time. With so many resources and chances to take, you will be lost with finding a balance but that is alright.

It will be simple to cue the confusion with how machines work here in the States. The registration machine, washing machine, and vending machine — all those you were not used to. Try to figure out how to make dishes because there will be times when you will miss your home food and you cannot just eat outdoors. Everyone is as confused as you in their freshman year so don’t be hard on yourself; you will catch up with every detail gradually.

It might sound nice to split bills and share groceries with your roommates but choosing a roommate should be your priority as well. Just finding someone who you will like to hang out with on the nights off and sharing the same roof with a person for a year are two different things. Your lives and schedules will be different so watch out. Make sure that you can find a common ground to talk to your roommate. There will be times when you will not be on the same page as your roommates but that is completely okay. Holding imaginary grudges about things that are not even your problem will only make your relationship with your roommate fade away. You will also need spaces so don’t hesitate to back off a bit and find a room to breathe once in a while.

You will be in an illusion to think that preparing for the college test is a bit tough but you can pull it out if you pay enough attention in class. Before the start of the semester, you might freak out with some of the classes you will be taking but there will always be time to drop them if you feel like you will not do well on it. Warning: don’t listen to a one-sided opinion about any teacher; try to get different perspectives about them. You don’t want to start your semester with a fear of failing class just because someone told you the class is hard. If they say you will fail the class, double-check who the information is coming from.

A notable academic experience for you will be to realize that it will be a tough time to figure out what exactly you need to focus on time. Even if I am in the last month of my first semester, I still need to experiment with different subjects in different ways to understand them. Sociology class requires you to make flashcards, Programming class needs you to Google and makes use of Quizlet, and Operating system class needs you to note down from slides. I know you jot down ideas of JavaScript concepts in your summer break to ease yourself in programming class but it would not really matter. Even though you will prepare to the best of your ability for tests, you can feel short of what you studied, especially in your Computer class since you are supposed to know a plethora of information. You have the right to freak out and it is completely normal.

Watch out for your deadlines! Since some deadlines might slip through the cracks, keep a planner handy by your side whenever you have anything due. Be sure to keep track of them, even if it’s your friend’s phone number. You never know when you will need it. You will also be sadly mistaken to think you are good at saving money. Most likely, you will not be good at it. If you think starting college life will end all the questions you had in your senior years of high school about your career, you got it wrong. You will go through rounds of questions. These small talks will last forever in your college years, well at least the first semester now. “What is your major?” and “what have you think of doing?” Uh-huh.

I know you will be proud of yourself when you take a look at what you achieved. You learned how to work with your roommate problems, you figured out how to shop for yourself amidst the myriad “options” to choose materials, you found a job and you embraced cultural shocks. Last but not least, remember if nothing goes right, your parents who are more than half a world away are just one phone call away. No matter what time of day it is, they will always be there for you. They know what is best for you and they will always be right. You don’t have to shove yourself with every responsibility so make sure once in a while, your parents are also part of your responsibility.

College is demanding, stressful, and full of paper works, which you are not well acquainted with, but it teaches you values you will need for life. Don’t just take any chances with the deadlines and experiences. For now, take a deep breath during your break and have enough rest before you delve into next semester. Spare some time with your parents. You never know when you will be meeting them next time. Four years? Yeah, probably! Everything will make its way, so take a chill pill now. You will be fine.

With regards,

College freshman, me