Dear Freshman Katy,

You are asking yourself, how is this possible, how is future me, contacting me?! Well. I defied science, created a portal to send this letter to you! LoL JK. But don’t stop reading, there is some serious information I want you to hear!

Right now you feel alone and afraid. These feelings are only temporary, and you are not alone. College is going to be the best experience of your life, and you will develop into an amazing and caring human being.

You have no idea who you are and what you want to be in the future. All you are worried about right now is making it through your first night away from home. It will be okay. You are quickly going to realize that you love your independence, and you are going to make choices that do not seem clear to you yet. Your first big decision will be picking a major. Right now you are a nursing major, but in the near future you will decide to go into the social work field, and it will become the best decision of your life!

But it’s not all about the huge decisions you will make. It will be more about the experiences you are about to face. These experiences will be hard to wrap your head around, and you will ask yourself “Why me?”. Through these experiences, you may feel that the world is against you and you don’t want to be here anymore. There are three words that I want to tell you: “Don’t Give Up!” No matter how you feel and what people will tell you, their words and your feelings will make you grow and become the greatest person you can be! It may not feel like it now, but you will be proud of who you become. Struggling is a huge step in the college experience.

These five years are going to fly by in a blink of an eye. Make sure to absorb and appreciate the life you are living. Appreciation of life will make you see that you are who you are and you will finally be happy!

College isn’t all about being social and having the most friends. It is about doing well in classes and excelling. My tip to you is to get a tutor and study, study, STUDY!! Who cares if people call you a nerd because you want to spend time in your room doing homework? In the end, your grades matter, but with saying this, you don’t have to have perfect grades. Don’t aim for all A’s it is okay to get a B or even a C. Do not think that going to class is a punishment, You are paying for it after all! I’m not telling you to study all the time. You need to go out and have a little fun. Relax, go on a walk or have a game night with friends! Always make sure you take care of yourself. Self-care is a very important thing to learn. It helps prevent burnout, which you will experience later on!

Keep in contact with your family! Right now, your family isn’t the best aspect of your life, but in the end they are going to become your biggest support system! They love you and want the best for you. Don’t push them out of your life! Your mom is going to become your best friend and biggest fan! It’s hard to understand, but she is amazing and will drop everything to help you because she does love you!

I know this may seem overwhelming to read this letter, but everything will be okay! You are going to become a leader and grow into such a strong woman that will make you proud! It’s hard to see now, but it’s going to be amazing!

Future senior you (me) is about to graduate with a bachelor’s in social work in four SHORT MONTHS! You end up losing the college weight that you were terrified to gain, you finally get the tattoos you have always wanted and generally you become happy for the first time in your life! Remember something: never forget who you are, stand your ground and keep on fighting! LIFE IS GREAT and it’s just beginning for you!!

With love,
Your future self