Dear future me,

As of writing this, I am in only in my second week at Longwood, and honestly, I am still trying to adjust. It feels strange being in a new place with so many new people, I do not love it yet, but I am trying to give it a chance. I hope that when you read this in the future, you can look back and see how far you’ve come and how much you have grown. My biggest goal while I am here is simple. I want to pass all my classes, stay on track, and earn my degree in psychology. I know it won’t always be easy, but I really hope that you have stayed focused and worked hard. I hope you have found a study routine that works for you and that you’ve been able to balance school with the rest of your life. I also hope you have gotten more involved on campus. Right now, the involvement fair is coming up and I am going to see what there is that I may be interested in. It will probably be a club sport or an academic honor society. I don’t want to just go to class and go sit back in my dorm. I hope you have met people who make this place feel, at least a little, like home and that you have built friendships that will last even after graduation. I hope that when you look back, you feel proud. Proud of sticking with it even when it was hard in the beginning. Proud of the degree you earned and the person you became along the way. Right now everything feels new and a bit overwhelming, but hopefully over time this place will start to feel more and more like a home away from home.

– Your freshmen self

Dear future self,

I hope you had an amazing 4 years at Longwood! I know that it is coming to the end, but you will start a new chapter, and God will have your back going into that new chapter. Getting a job is going to be hard, but if you go through this and you are going to have a blast teaching the kindergartners. I hope that while you are here at Longwood that you get into a sorority like Mom was. I know cheering is going to be so fun, and being with your teammates is going to be so much fun! I really hope to see you being successful in your academics. If you are struggling, go ask for help. Don’t just sit there and not be motivated to do your work, cause when cheer season comes around, you need to stay on top of your work. I know going to college is scary, but you will get through this. After the first year, you will do just fine. Mom and Dad will have a house here before you know it, and summer will be here too! Be safe and make good choices because I know that there are some crazy people here, and never walk by yourself. After college, I hope you are living your best life and hoping to get married in the next 6 years and living on a farm! Cause you have always dreamed of living on a farm! I really hope that you have an amazing 4 years of college, and I can’t wait to see what you have done and all the amazing accomplishments you have made, and the new skills you have acquired at the games! I hope to see you on the mat for Daytona with all of your amazing teammates! Ok, that’s it, see you in 4 years.

• Your Freshman year self, Mallory 

Dear Tarynn of the future, 

This journey here at Longwood has been one to remember and it’s only been a month. I can not even  imagine the stories we have to tell our kids one day, from late night studies, to adventures with friends, these four years I’m sure have flown by. I’m so proud of you for making it this far, although at the moment we aren’t sure if nursing is what we want to do with our life, I know you’ve made the right choice no matter what it is, and that the goals we’ve set for ourselves although at the moment seem like a wish upon a star, have been reached because that’s just the kind of person we are. Whether you’re about to take your NCLEX or preparing to open the bridal store of your dreams, you got this. Was sisterhood everything we dreamed of? Did we find our bridesmaids? Did we soak up every moment? Hopefully we’ve taken every opportunity that has come about, and not taken any of  it for granted. College is supposed to be a place to find yourself. Who do you want to be? And what kind of an impact do you want to make? I aspire to make an impact not only at Longwood but also in the world, whether that be big or small that’s up to us. I hope we are still getting to do what we love, cheerleading has taught us so many lessons in life and we are now teaching what we learned to the next generation without a doubt. These years at Longwood I know have been life changing and even though it’s once again, even though at the moment we’ve only been here for a month; I can’t imagine ourselves anywhere else. Remember that in every situation, there’s always a bright side.

“Its just life, Will. It’ll be over before we know it.” – Rachael Lippincott, Five Feet Apart

You got this,

Freshman year self.