In the opening pages of “Freshman Year” by Sarah Mai, Sarah is introduced, who just graduated from high school. Sarah hangs out with her friends right after graduating, and that’s exactly what I did too. I spent the first week after graduating to spend time with all my friends because I knew that would be the last time I would see them for a while when we all started college. After that first week, I started working full time to save up money for college. Sarah also worked during the summer after she graduated. Sarah had a summer job gardening, I worked at my local grocery store. Which is what I also did my junior and senior year of high school. It was hard going from school seven days a week, seeing my friends every day to working seven hour shifts every day. It was a major change for me, and I don’t do too well with big changes. I had a lot of anxiety, and I was stressed about picking my classes and what I needed to buy but so was Sarah. She was worried about her friends and what she needed to do before college started. I eventually got the hang of going to work every day and seeing my friends less and less. It hurt a lot, but I knew that it was just a part of growing up. I also realized that change is good, it’s needed to grow and adapt. It pushes us out of our comfort zones and allows us to learn new things. Change in life can open up new opportunities and perspectives for the future. The first 68 pages just show how she gets through summer before college and how sometimes it can be very stressful and she’s very correct. It’s hard to try and be prepared but in reality, nobody can be but so ready for anything. There are always possible what ifs, but they are good, they keep you on your toes for any unexpected thing to happen.

In Freshman year Sarah started her summer experience with working at a garden place tending to plants.  I started my summer experience working for my father at our real estate/contracting business. It might sound like hard work but I have done it for many summers before that. The experiences that I had while working out there are always something because I’m working with men in their forties and thirties. You would never know what was going to happen on the job site that day or anything. One thing it did teach me was responsibility and keeping up with my own things. I went on a family vacation too like Sarah but we went on our family beach trip. This year though we went to Key West for vacation. We usually just go to OBX but since I just graduated we decided to go down there. Like Sarah though I did go fishing down there. Another experience that Sarah had was seeing her friend off when she went to college. I had that same experience seeing my friends off. Of my friends 3 of us went to college and they were my closest friends. One went to Radford college and my other friend went to Ole miss college. Like Sarah it was hard because I grew up with these guys my entire life and playing sports with them too. When Sarah moved into college her experience was a little chaotic. My experience was the opposite. My parents did not help me move in. I had my sister help me move in. I left my home with everything in my truck and just moved in. Me and Sarah did have something in common. I did not know my roommate like she did not know hers. Like her the first night I was scared too. I did not know what to expect or anything.           

Dear Future Self, 

You are writing this on September 11, 2024 as you are attending your first year at Longwood to get your Elementary Education degree. You always wanted to be a teacher and you knew from a really young age. Did you realize it would be this hard to get to that point to actually teach in the next few months? Did you achieve the license you need and have the GPA you want? Even better, did all your experience with student teaching be something you will never forget? You picked Longwood for the best education program close to home that fits your needs and hopefully it was all that you seemed. You know how much you love to learn about your degree, but did you get more involved then just learning? You told your freshman self that you wanted to meet some of your life long friends that will always stick by your side. Your roommate is your childhood best friend and your suitemates were new girls you met freshman year, and we have already made some of the best memories. Are you living with all of them in an apartment? Or new friends? Or some of both? I remember you telling yourself that you were looking for clubs that dealt with animals. I know you researched Paws for Purpose and STEP, but did you actually go through with being in them? If you attended them like you plan to, did you make any connections with people or pets? Possibly even bring one home like you did as a senior in high school? In the back of your mind you were possibly wanting to rush for a sorority, but the more you thought you were stressed about not having time for studies. Did you join one or just stick with clubs? As the years went on and the studies got harder I know that your family and friends were always by your side. I hope you made your time at Longwood worth every minute and stood to your standards of your studies and activities you got involved in. Push yourself to be the best version of you in your teaching career. 

Love, 

The person you will become 

Dear future self,

You are now a freshman at the university of Longwood. You are currently majoring in business with a concentration in management, you are also studying criminal justice. I have hopes to be a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program Manager/Administrative Support Supervisor. Although I worry about the transition in schoolwork from high school to college, I am very exciting to begin this new chapter in my life. I am so lucky to have already found some of my favorite people that I will have for the rest of college and friendships that will last a lifetime. It has been very hard leaving my best friend from home and my family, but I am adjusting very well and hope to continue to. I look forward to meeting many more people. Am I still enjoying college and adjusting well to the new environment?

The one thing I am most worried about while adjusting to college is the amount of work I will have. Balancing academic, social and personal life I feel will be the hardest part. I have always been told 2 different perspectives on college. One of which being it is so hard; all I have time for is schoolwork and it is so much different than high school. The other being it is not as bad as it seems, I have so much time to do the things I want, and I have more of a social life than an academic one. By the end of the 4 years which perspective did I have on college? I am confident that I will find a healthy balance and will make the most out of any situation.  I am curious to know if I am still just as passionate about my career or if I have changed my mind.

I hope to have improved on prioritizing myself and focusing on the things that are truly important. I hope I find time to do the things I truly enjoy and that will allow me to reach my life’s goals.

 Lastly, I hope to be the happiest and most successful I can be by the end of the next 4 years at longwood.

09/12/24

Dear future self,

How are you doing? Currently you’re a freshman at Longwood University studying Bio/Pre-med. Is this still true? I hope so because I am so excited to see what else is waiting for us. But I know you have good judgement, although I may be a smidge biased, so I know you’ll do good in whatever else you choose. What has been your favorite part of college over these past few years? Was it everything you imagined? You had such big dreams for your college experience, hopefully you stuck with them.

Have you found any clubs or groups to get involved with? You were so excited to experience college life, so hopefully you found some way to live that out. Are you still friends with the people you came here from high school with? Did you find some new friends? You love talking to people and showing your care for others, so I really hope so. Which brings me to asking, are you still the same people loving person you grew up to be? I really hope so, that’s your favorite part of yourself.

Looking back on your past four years, what was your favorite class. Probably not math, but maybe that changed about us. Maybe we like math now. Do you still want to be a Radiologist? We’ve changed our mind so many times that I wouldn’t doubt it if you said you changed it again. If so, have you done any internships or started working at a hospital to gain some experience? How are you liking it? Hopefully you can look at yourself in the mirror and see the person you couldn’t wait to see when you were me, just getting started.

I know you’re doing great, because we never knew what we were gonna do if we didn’t. Hopefully by now you’re in medical school, learning everything you dreamed to know as a kid. Im proud of you, you did it. Keep on going until you can say you’re truly happy with the outcome. No matter how many times you have to restart. You’ve got this. I hope I get to answer these questions with all the answers I wish I could know now.

From your current self,

Kaylie.

Dear Darion,

College has made your life very overwhelming because of the different responsibilities at hand. You are probably experiencing anxiety, nervous breakdowns, and trouble sleeping because you are worried about passing your classes. Although, you are stressing about college, god has put you on a journey to do accomplish goals that you did not believe that you could ever accomplish. You knew that embarking on this new challenge in your life would be difficult to maintain; however, you are staying true to yourself and not giving up because you want to change the lives of people in a positive way. If you stay in college and work hard everyday to get good grades you will be fine.During your freshmen year of high school, you did not think that you would do well in any of your classes; however, you managed to passed them with flying colors because you stayed true to yourself and never gave up. Though college is tougher than high school, you are still staying true to yourself and not looking back because you were put here to further your education. It’s okay to feel stressed and struggle in college because no one is perfect and life has its up and downs but learning from your mistakes as you go will better you for future challenges that may arise. Four years from now, you will take what you have learned and make a great career out of it. Not only will you make a great career out of it but you will come up with a device that will change the lives of people around the world. I know that you think that changing your major from graphic design to computer science was not worth it because of the extra classes that  you have acquired; however, it will be worth it in the end!

9/12/2024
Dear Future Self,
I want you to read this before you walk the stage to get your degree. Congratulations on all your accomplishments. I hope you had the best time in college and made memories that will bring a smile to your face when you look back, and are proud of yourself. Right now, I am a first-year student and to tell you the truth, it feels like I am in a summer bootcamp, and that I will be going back home in a few days. I guess reality has not hit me that hard yet. This should be our new tradition to write letters to our future selves. I want you to check off things in the list I will make today.
First, I hope you make your health a top priority, nothing should be put before this. I hope you got rid of your unhealthy habit of eating junk food and are now eating healthy. You should be good at drinking water and exercising daily now. I would be happy if you do accomplish these goals. Second, I hope you kept your academics a top priority because you are getting your degree. I will assume you did, and I am so proud of you. I know I suck at communication but as a communication studies major, I believe you are much better than me now. Unfortunate circumstances might happen that will cause you to change your major. If you did end up switching majors, I am glad you went with your heart and did what made you happy.
You are now preparing to enter the workforce, please do not overwork yourself. I want to travel the world, and I don’t want you to forget because I know the workforce can sometime be hectic, and people slowly start to push their dreams away and I want you to promise not to let our dreams go. I know mom is proud and will most definitely have a huge celebration dinner. I want you to write her a letter to thank her for all the support she has given us through our journey. Remember our childhood promise to work hard so she doesn’t have to worry about anything. Now it’s your job to start making that promise a reality. In life you only need one person to believe in you to be unstoppable, so I want to tell you I believe in you, and you better make me proud.
Have a great graduation and tell mom that 19-year-old Kare loves her and is thankful that she was the one chosen to be our mom.
Good Luck and love You!
Kare