Dear You

Dear You,

Yes, you! If you’re reading this, it means you are starting college. Whether you’re a first generation student or not, this is the start of a new journey in your life. First and foremost, welcome to college! This is it! You’ve made it. Unfortunately, this is not the finish line, but the start. And like in the beginning of every adventure, it’s okay to feel nervous, excited, and maybe a little scared. At least that’s how I felt when I first started college. As a first generation student, I had no one to guide me through the whole college process. Lucky for you, I will give you a quick tip to try and help you get through your first year.

I remember my first day, I was terrified. I had no friends, no idea what to expect, no type of direction. My classes went by in a blur. I don’t remember learning anything, it was like my body was physically there, but my mind was elsewhere. I even contemplated dropping out. Now, I am not telling you this to scare you, but to tell you that if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed right now, IT’S OK. You might think that you are the only one, but odds are most if not all freshmen are feeling the same way.

So my tip to you is if you want to stay on top of the game, WATCH OUT for time, time can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I learned this the hard way. Since you don’t go to the same class every day, you may feel like you have more time to complete your assignments, when in fact this is not the case. The worst thing you can do is think you have more time. Best advice I can give you when it comes to work, is always stay on top of your assignments and readings. If you do this, time will be your best friend. If you are like me and decide to wait till last minute, time will eventually become your worst enemy because work will keep piling up and you might fall behind. That is something you definitely want to avoid. When it comes to work, staying on top of it is key.

My grandmother used to tell me. “Be dumb for one minute, not your entire life” meaning ask all questions you have, if you look like a fool, it will only be for a minute, instead of going your entire life not knowing. So my second advice is if you need help, go and get it. There is no shame in asking for help when needed. You’ll thank me later! Just keep in mind that we all go through similar experiences, some better, some worse than others, but whatever you will go through, someone already went through and if they made it, so can you. I won’t tell you it’s easy, because college it’s definitely a challenge, instead I want to tell you that YOU can do it. YOU will fall, but YOU will get through it, YOU will make mistakes, but most importantly, YOU will learn.

Sincerely, and wishing you best of luck,

            A fellow fighter.