A Letter to The Freshmen

One of the greatest journeys of your life has just begun. So while you’re taking it all in, allow a fourth-year undergrad to take a trip down memory lane with you.University is a big transition that interferes with every aspect of your life: your relationships, nutrition, health and much more. When it comes to friendships, it’s easier to simply neglect our relationships due to the endless hours of studying and working; we forget the importance of our social lives. Learn to put effort and time in the friendships you want to cherish while keeping your wellbeing a priority. With that being said, there’s a multitude of services offered to help achieve your goal. Your progress, your academic satisfaction, perseverance, and sense of belonging are a crucial part of a healthy university life to avoid the intent of dropping out.

Academics love intelligence, universities search for students to peak and excel to keep their reputation intact; but with this pressure come dropout rates. You’ll undergo all-nighters, deadlines and weeks filled with stress. Don’t hold it in, let it out, but after it’s all said and done, pick yourself up and achieve your goal. You worked hard to get here, don’t get discouraged, stand tall and persevere but always make your mental health a priority. The atmosphere in which you’ll be spending the next years must be a positive environment. Mental illness’ such as stress, anxiety, and depression, are often found in students; you must concentrate on the positive emotions. You’ll start university with the intentions of keeping the same average as high school, you’ll want to graduate with a high GPA, but at some point, it won’t be what you want it to be. No one can fully prepare you for the unknown, you will teach yourself the best way to take notes in class and you’ll also learn how to study properly. You must apply yourself, go to the office hours and ask for help.

Through your performance, learning, access, and retention, our university offers counseling, coaching, tutoring, mentoring, and much more in order to help reach your goals. However, there’s a lot more to university than just your grades and academics. If you’re lucky like I was, you’ll meet the best friends of your life and have some of the most rewarding experiences. The biggest discovery you’ll make will be of yourself. You will become a part of whom you’re supposed to be, growing into the best version of who you are, independent and mature. You came to university not only to learn but also to grow, so take those breaks, go out those nights, enjoy the time alone and don’t beat yourself up for getting a bad grade. With these experiences, the change in your identity will be both thrilling and frightening.

Therefore, expect the unexpected, to step out of your comfort zone, to be put to the test, proven wrong and doubt what you already know, but be ready most of all, to adapt to the new rhythm. Whether or not your journey will be incredible, it will certainly be among the most transformative. You will be learning, growing, and focused solely on yourself; and that is a gift in itself. When you feel like giving up, remember how far you’ve come and the hours you have put in. When all is said and done, your focus, strength, and compassion will have paid off and served you well but don’t expect to have it all figured out; I’m still learning myself. Wishing you the best.