Dear Freshman Me,
You’re here; you’ve made it! Welcome to the most exhilarating yet frightening four years of your life. I can’t even begin to tell you just how excitingly crazy this journey in front of you is and just how much you have to look forward to. You’ll learn, stress, laugh, cry, grow, and live. You’ll fall in love with Georgetown. It won’t always be easy, and that’s okay.
You’ll wonder if you moved too far away from home, if you’re missing out on going to a big football school, if you should have gone to college with all of your high school friends, if you made the wrong decision. You’ll think about transferring. Don’t fill out that application; you won’t need it.
You’ll fail a midterm. You’ll withdraw from a class. You’ll time and time again feel like everyone in the room is smarter than you. You’ll feel defeated by the school and major you chose and wonder if this really is for you. Put your head down, work hard, go to your professors for help, and stick with it—I’m promising you that it’ll be okay.
The all-nighters, unhealthy diets, crazy schedules, and dorm-living will catch up with you. You’ll get sick. Obviously right? But this will be the first time that your dad can’t call the principal’s office to excuse you from class and that your mom won’t be able to make your doctor’s appointments for you. You’ll feel lost. But in this moment, you’ll also realize how much your friends care about you and how much you need them. You’ll feel grateful that you’ve surrounded yourself with the most caring, genuine, great people. That boy who brought you soup during the first week of school will go on to become one of your best friends. Thank him.
You’ll make a million to-do lists. You’ll try to plan your life out. You’ll apply to a bunch of internships and submit a bunch of resumes. You’ll make plans to move to New York after graduation with all of your roommates. And just when you think you have it all figured it, life will throw you a big curveball and send you to Hong Kong after graduation. Go with it.
You’ll realize that some days (or most days) you can’t do it all. And that’s probably the most valuable lesson you will learn in college. That there’s simply not enough hours in a day, and that’s a good thing! You’ll learn to invest your time in what truly makes you tick. You’ll realize that you don’t need to be involved in a hundred different things. You’ll learn that quitting something does not make you any lesser. And in the process, you’ll discover things that you’re incredibly passionate about.
You’ll learn that above everything else, people matter. Invest in your relationships. Being “busy” is not an excuse, and you’ll never have time, but you’ll make time. Follow up with friends you say hi to in passing and actually grab that lunch or coffee that you’ve mentioned for years! Text people to ask about their day. Or better yet, call them. Learn about the stories of your peers. Turn acquaintances into friends. Befriend people who aren’t like you; they’ll challenge you to think about the world a different way. Keep in touch with people from home; they know who you are, where you came from, and stuck by your side in your weird teenage years. Say thank you often—to your parents, your roommates, your professors, and anyone who has gone out of their way to make your day just a little brighter. You’ll make theirs brighter too.
So take a deep breath and soak it all in! The next four years are yours to create and your Georgetown experience is whatever you want it to be. Skip class and go hear that speaker in Gaston Hall—you’ll remember staying up all night for Hillary Clinton way more than you’d remember that theology lecture. Go support your friends in a cappella concerts, shows, presentations, and sports games—they’ll appreciate it more than you know and you’ll get to learn about so many more campus groups this way. Learn to become comfortable going to things by yourself—just because your friend can’t go to something, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go. Drop your minor and go study abroad—it really is all that it’s talked up to be; you’ll learn so much about yourself and the world. And prioritize health—when choosing between going to the gym and not going to the gym, always go to the gym.
Four years later, you’ll still constantly be pinching yourself, realizing just how incredibly lucky you are to be here.
And four years later, you’ll fall in love with Georgetown over and over again.
Love,
Misty