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Making friends is and will be stressful. That’s okay. It works out. Your friends are fantastic now. They’re incredibly supportive. There will be some low points, but that’s okay because you guys all keep each other afloat through the worst of times. You all get through it.
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Meanwhile, your high school friends aren’t going anywhere. I know you love your old friends and don’t worry, I still do too. You will stay in touch with those friends you adore and you’ll see them again. You’ll even fly to California during sophomore year to visit one. You keep snapchat streaks, text constantly, and have three hour facetimes. Sometimes you might not hear from them for a little bit, but they are always there as devoted to staying in touch as you are.
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Athletics won’t be there forever, and it will hurt, but leaving will be the right call. I’m starting my first year without swimming, after debating for months and months whether or not I should continue. Your father will give you the best advice, though. He will tell you not to run away from something, but to run towards something. You will run towards your future, thanking swimming for everything it gave you in the past.
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College is not high school. Grades might not be what they used to be. You might actually need to learn how to study. You definitely will have to learn how to self motivate. It’s okay. It’ll suck, but it’s okay.
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Dear God, learn how to cook. Mom was right. You can’t live off of bagels.
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Join orgs. You’re going to stumble on an org and join just because why not. You’re going to stumble into the exec board and land in the leadership position. Once you leave athletics you’re going to try for another org. You’re going to lead that one too. It will be intimidating, but you’re going to realize that the challenge is kind of fun and exciting.
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You should really talk to people in class and not rush to leave at the end. Those people in your class are awesome and you might not realize it until the end of sophomore year. You have always been able to find your swimmers; you need to find your writers.
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You aren’t meant to have a game plan yet. Sure, you’ll have an answer for when people ask, but it’s okay if that doesn’t happen. People with answers about what they are going to do after college are likely just expressing hopes. We’re all confused, just stumbling towards what we hope will be a stable paycheck, ideally in a vaguely relevant field.
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It’s only a pipe dream if you only dream about it. Do the thing. Don’t just say you’re going to. Do it.
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Don’t be afraid. You’re going to do some crazy things. Fly for almost twelve hours when you hate flying so you can go to Hawaii with your team. You’re going to figure out how to get to NYC on a budget to see your favorite book become a musical. You’re going to get a tattoo when you’re terrified of needles. You’re going to rock heels and crop tops when you’re still working on your own self confidence. You are going to wow yourself and that is going to be the most amazing feeling.e most amazing feeling.