As I finish up my final few weeks as a McMaster student, I find myself reflecting upon my four years here and how I have changed in that time. I am a completely different person than I was in my first year, and for that I am eternally grateful. I wish I could go back in time and comfort my first-year self and let her know that everything would be okay, and that everything would work out exactly as it was meant to.
First year was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences. When I first came to McMaster, I was afraid and nervous but felt extremely lucky. It was nerve wracking to begin classes because I did not know what to expect. I slowly learnt what it was like to be a university student and ended up genuinely enjoying my classes and what I was learning. But at the end of September, I went through a break-up for the first time and felt broken from it. It was extremely painful to go through that experience, but I also grew tremendously because of it.
I learned that while things will not always go my way, it will be okay. Things happen for a reason, and our relationship was simply not meant to continue. I learned to put myself and my needs first. First year challenged me and there were definitely moments where I felt like I was simply re-living the same day over and over again. Surrounded by thousands of people who all seemed as if they had their lives together, I felt very lonely and I was not sure that feeling would ever leave. Nevertheless, I always got back up again no matter how hard it was.
I am so thankful for how my undergrad has gone and all the things that I have accomplished. Living away from home was terrifying and thrilling. Being thrown into such a different environment requires an adjustment period, but all these challenges culminated in me being where I am today and the person I am today. The past four years have definitely been defined by a journey of self-discovery and self-love. I lost myself in the sea of thousands of students here and had to work really hard to find myself again. It was one of the hardest things I have done and am still working on, but I have grown so much more than I ever thought possible. I have formed genuine connections, discovered passions, and found myself along the way.
Although I am scared to be growing up so quickly and be graduating soon, I am also so incredibly excited to see what life has to offer. So much of my life is unwritten and I get to decide where the story goes next.
Dear first-year me: take care of yourself, be kind to yourself, and take life one day at a time. You are exactly where you are meant to be. I am proud of who you are becoming, and I hope you are too.