Dear Kayla,
I know you are overwhelmed right now and feeling anxious, excited, and nervous. I want to let you know that you have made one of the greatest decisions of your life in choosing to attend Western. It may not feel like this right now, but soon enough Western is going to feel like home and I promise you, everything will work out.
Your first year at Western will be the most challenging of all. You will feel alone. You will feel homesick. You will feel anxious. You will do things you regret. And you will question your decision to attend Western in the first place. But I can promise you that you will also have a lot of fun, meet new friends, discover exciting interests and make long-lasting memories.
However, there are a few things you should know:
You won’t, and don’t need to have everything figured out. This year is all about taking a variety of classes and figuring out your interests. You will change majors, and you will change your career path.
Join a club: Join one club that truly interests you. Don’t just join five different clubs for the sake of it.
Go to the library: Residence is the worst place to study. There are a few libraries you can go to: Weldon, Taylor, King’s, Law, etc.
While we’re on the topic of studying… it will be a challenge. But there are services on campus that can help you! For example, the Writing Support Centre can help you with your essays; or you can go to the Learning Skills Services, where you can meet with counsellors that can help you with your academics. Take advantage of these services and resources because you will need it. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your professors for help! You can send them an email or go to their office hours. As intimidating as it may be, your professors are there to help, and they really aren’t as scary as they seem. But one thing you should know is that your grades will plummet. And that’s okay, just try your best and don’t stress too much about grades. This is your first year.
Party in res: Frost week will be one of the best weeks of your university career. You have one year to party in residence…. make the best of it.
It’s okay if you don’t make a ton of great friends right away. Look beyond the people on your floor! And, just so you know, you will end up living with an unexpected group of girls who will become your best friends.
These next few years will be life changing. They will be fun, stressful, and challenging. But I promise it will all be worth it.
And I promise you just made one of the best decisions of your life.
Kayla