A letter to my past self

I used to dream about being all grown up. I used to wonder what it would be like to have my own job, pay my own bills, and be an adult. I especially thought of the days that I would no longer have to take tests, do homework, or go to school. 

Well, now that I am a senior in college, I wish that I hadn’t dreamed it so fast. I wish I could go back to 2022 and give myself some advice. 

1) I wish I could tell myself that I was never incapable, but just scared. The first day of college, I was absolutely terrified. I didn’t believe that I was capable of handling college. I didn’t give myself the chance to believe in myself. It took me a while to realize that I was just scared. When you know that you are capable, everything will change. 

2) Living off campus doesn’t make you lame. I experienced this firsthand, being a local, and it was hard. I felt that I didn’t deserve to go to activities, because I didn’t live in a residence hall. I soon realized I had amazing friends who always made sure I was on campus having fun. Even if you don’t live on campus, you deserve to experience all the things that are going on to the fullest. 

3) Your professors aren’t working against you; they are working for you. Even though it seems like your professors are out to get you when they assign you 14 assignments in one week, they want you to learn all that you can. Even though it might seem repetitive, they want you to fully understand something so that it will spark something in you. They do what they do for you.

4) Your parents have your back. It took me 21 years to realize that my parents are my best friends. Through every major change, through every challenging assignment, through every hard decision – they were the ones who were my shoulder to cry on, and the first ones to tell me that I could get through it. 

5) Change your major if you don’t feel completely in love with it. Would you believe me if I told you that I changed my major nine times?! I fully walked into college thinking that I wanted to be a teacher. Taking different classes made me realize that it was something that I wasn’t fully passionate about. Take the opportunity to take other courses and learn what you truly want to do. 

College can be scary, but it can also be the most amazing time of your life. I would give anything to go back to my first day on campus – the first day of being an Aggie. Remember who you are now and who you want to become. Trust me, your future self will be proud of the person/student you are becoming.