Dear extremely stressed/nervous for the future, 17-year-old Ru,
Here’s what’s going to happen to you almost 4 years on.
1) You’re going to do so much better than you thought you would with your exams. One of your biggest fears in secondary school is that you won’t get into a good university and you’ll end up doing a course that you hate. That doesn’t happen. You’ll get into the university you’ve had your heart set on for years and you won’t have any regrets about choosing the course you did.
2) Your gut feeling/intuition/whatever you call it is going to save your life (literally). This might sound a bit far-fetched and unbelievable but you’re going to look back very relieved that you trusted your instincts.
3) You’re going to have the most amazing friends. Secondary school is hell because the girls are mostly bitchy (just be warned you’ll meet a few more of those after school too). At university though, you’re going to have the best friends you could’ve asked for and you’ll realise all those hellish secondary school years were worth going through. They’ll be there for you when you’re upset or stressed, you’ll have so many laughs with them and you’ll like them so much you won’t mind if they tease you about liking pickles in your burgers or if they eat their pizza with BBQ sauce.
4) That heartbreak you’re going through won’t matter in the long run. You naively thought it was going to last forever and it crushed you when it ended. But 3 and half years on, you’ll be well over it and you’ll realise it’s better to be single and doing your own thing than to be in a relationship with someone indecisive and immature.
5) You’ll actually come to like sports. Sounds hilarious now, but at uni you’ll be surprisingly sporty.
6) Cheese (especially halloumi) is bloody expensive once you start paying for it. One of the things about adulthood that’ll always cause you pain.
7) You’re going to travel way more than you thought you would. Sure, travelling’s on your bucket list but by the start of your second year at university, you’ll have travelled to 3 countries in less than 6 months. You’ll discover you get a thrill out of travelling alone. And you’ll be so excited for your year abroad.
8) Coffee will be your best friend even though you hate it now. Embrace the fact you’re going to have countless all-nighters and you’re going to practically be living in the library by second year.
9) You’re going to have the time of your life. No exaggeration there.
10) You’ll be absolutely fine. Even though you’re totally convinced you won’t be.
Love, an older (but much happier and slightly sleep-deprived) Ru x