"Do Not"

Dear Freshmen,

           If there were two words I can use for college it would be “Do Not.” Do not give up on your self because you have made it this far and you are strong. Do not be afraid to get help because your question might sound dumb, help is always going to be there and trust me everyone has had stupid questions. Do not feel you cannot pass the class because it is more challenging compared to high school, you will pass just push yourself. Do not feel like you are alone because we have all felt that way. In other words you are not alone, all freshmen’s have felt this way so it is normal. Do not feel as if you are not as smart as the other students. You are just as smart you made it this far. Do not let the little voices in your head bring you down. You need to tell yourself you can do it and you will. Most importantly do not, do not give up on yourself. You may stumble and fall but there are always hands reaching out for you to get you back up.

          When I started my first year of college, I did not know what to expect. I was at a university with a bunch of students who were probably smarter than me. I felt as if I was looked at as dumb because of the remedial classes I was taking. I heard many stories of college being challenging and everyone being mean, but they were wrong. Yes, college was challenging at times because of all the studying you have to do, and sacrifices you have to make. You sometimes lose sleep and patience, but in the end it’s all worth it because when you get that good grade on your midterm or essay you feel really accomplished. Although college may be competitive at times, know there are always people who are there to help you. People such as teachers, friends, advisors, or even clubs you are in. In college help is everywhere. College is like being in a different atmosphere compared to high school. People in college want you to succeed. Surround your self with friends who have things to lose, and encourage you do to good.

            Although I can sit here and tell you what to do and what not to do students tend to learn by their own experiences. I was told many of these things before I got to college and I did not listen. I did not try in the beginning of my math class because I never tried in math. I saw myself slowly failing and thinking “I’ll take it again, its ok,” but you know what it was not ok. All the free help I was offered I was not taking it. I though college was like high school, if you failed math you can take it again till you pass and move on, but my thought was wrong. The math class I was taking was remedial, which meant that if I did not pass I would be out of my first year college. I began to panic because I wanted to stay at my four-year college. I was not ready to leave yet. I wanted to get the help they offered and pick my grade up because I wanted to stay. Through out the next few weeks of school I started to go to my schools math tutorial center where free tutoring is offered. I started to stay as late as I possibly could to learn the material I needed. I started to study in ways I have never studied before. There was one time where I studied nine hours the day before my midterm, and you know what I passed. I felt as if I have sacrificed to much to come to a four year college. I was not ready to leave then, and I am still not ready to leave now. I have been through many situations where I have wanted to give up because it was to hard for me. But the fact of the matter is if you made it this far don’t walk backwards, turn around and walk forward. You can do this you just need the right support and motivation. You need to tell yourself you are smart and you got this.

           My advice as a freshman is to never think you can’t do something; you can do anything you set your mind to. Feel proud that you made it this far, it is only the beginning and you have a long road ahead of you. College is not as scary as it sounds. It may not be like high school because it is more challenging, but trust me having to pick your own schedule feels great. Having to make your own decisions also feels great. Just remember pick the best decisions. My first year of college I under estimated myself a lot. I did not feel confident within myself, I felt like giving up sometimes because it was to hard for me, but I couldn’t have let my admission go to waste, I had to push myself. People are not just smart because they were born that way. People are smart because they study. You know what gets you through college, studying, confidence and believing in yourself. No longer being afraid to ask those dumb questions, and knowing you can do it no matter how hard it gets. Do not give up on yourself because in college people never give up on you. Many people feel as if they cannot survive college but do not tell yourself that. You can survive college if i can anyone can.

Sincerely,

A Freshmen