To the girl beginning her college experience four years ago:
For starters, living in a dorm won’t last forever. The microwavable meals and trek down to the laundry room will never be your favorite, but you’ll learn patience and what it means to live away from home for the first time. Your independence will grow tremendously. Be open to everyone you meet during this time and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. This time spent sharing a bathroom with three other people and living under the harsh, fluorescent lighting will go by faster than you think.
Remember you don’t have to change anything about yourself. While sometimes it will feel like it’s necessary to try and follow what other people are doing, in the long run, you’re going to find this isn’t true. The nose piercing and dyed hair are not going to be your best decisions––trust me. Embrace who you are and what you look like. I promise you’ll regret frying the life out of your curls one day.
Go to every event you can. Whether it’s a campus event, a sisterhood retreat or just an evening spent with friends––don’t take it for granted. You’ll never regret spending time with the people who understand you, or the memories you’ll make. Now is the time you get to be surrounded by friends and be spontaneous.
Admit it: you’re never going to enjoy math…or science…or history. It might seem like you have to spend an endless amount of hours in these classes only to find it’s not your thing, but that’s okay. Sometimes you have to find out what you don’t want to do in order to narrow down what you do want. Changing your major won’t be the end of the world––it will be the start of you discovering your true passions. Don’t worry so much about following a certain path––trust your instincts and don’t stop until you find what really sparks your interest.
Take the leap and join that club, Her Campus, as soon as possible. Not only will it help you discover what you want to do in your career, but it will introduce you the people who will impact your life in incredible ways. Your creativity will flourish and you’ll be introduced to opportunities you never expected to have.
Finally: WE DID IT!