Dear freshman self,
You don't know it yet, but the choices you make within the next four years of your life will be instrumental in determining what kind of person you turn out to be. Over the next four years, you will continually face adversity. Over the next four years, you will have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and you will have to earn everything you get. Over the next four years, you will stretch and grow more in these four years than you have over the course of your whole life. Fortunately, you will find that if you consistently choose to fight through it all, you will come out a much stronger person because of it.
Here are a few pieces of advice that I wish someone told me when I was a freshman. The first is to always stay positive. You may not always understand why something may be happening to you, but you must believe that good can come from any situation. Don't base your current circumstances on what is possible for the future. You always have the ability to change the way things are, just keep hammering forward and eventually things will get better.
The next piece of advice is to always do everything to the best of your ability. It seems simple, but you will find that many people often do as little as possible to get by. You can truly separate yourself by being the person who always does every task with the same level of effort and attention to detail.
Lastly, you should never be afraid to fail. No one that has ever been successful has done so without failing. The most successful people who have ever lived have failed their way to the top. Never be afraid to put yourself out there and make sure that when you do fail to use it as a learning experience for the future.
The next four years ahead are extremely exciting and you will surely meet a lot of great people and make a ton of meaningful relationships. You will experience some great times and make memories that will last your entire life.
However, you will inevitably face difficult situations along the way. In those times the way you choose to face those situations will determine what type of person you turn out to be. During those times remember to stay positive, work as hard as you can, and don't be afraid to fall flat on your face because the people who love you most will always be there to pick you up.
