Hey.

I know I was only in your shoes a few weeks ago, but I've already changed so much. Freshmen year was supposed to be a breeze and it really wasn't in some ways. However, what I wasn't expecting was for it to be as enlightening as it turned out to be.

You started off the year with high hopes and expectations. You made friends instantly and they were all so nice and inviting. After all, you were in the same boat. But what you don't know is that most of them will hardly talk to you by the end of the year. And of those that still talk to you, only a couple will still try to keep up with you when you're not at school. That's just how freshmen year goes and that's okay. You sometimes have your school friends that you're only friends with at school for convenience and that's really okay. You're not supposed to find all these lifelong friends like Hollywood makes college out to be. You just need to find the people who are just as unique and different as you that make the year feel easy and less stressful.

You didn't really think that the schoolwork would be all that different from high school. You felt like you were ready to take on any class and ace every assignment. Well you were dead wrong. You started off pretty well, and then it happened. That dreadful time when you really don't feel like doing anything and you got behind on some work and procrastinated until that became how you completed every assignment. That really bit you in the ass, and if you could do it over differently, and start fresh? Then you would do it in a heartbeat. But that's what sophomore year is for so don't sweat it too much.

You also realized that you didn't really want to do what you came to university to do. You chose a major that satisfied the people around you and not yourself, who is the most important in this decision. You ultimately ended up changing majors and now you're doing something that you have a bigger interest in. You are doing something that you wanted to do, not what your parents or your high school peers wanted you to do. That is truly an amazing feeling, when you realize that you are doing exactly what you should be doing because it is beneficial for you and you alone.

And here we are again talking about boys because what would another school year be without boys? You left high school with this mindset of "I don't need a man" yet you spent the entire year chasing after what you really didn't need. When you started college, you eventually realized that there are boys out there who are way different than those you had known in high school and sometimes that was a good thing; however, most times, it was not at all a good thing. Boys are tricky and honestly, they're not worth the stress and the tears.

By the end of your freshmen year, you've found who you were always meant to be and how you should finish the rest of your years at school. You've recognized who are your true friends and what your aspirations genuinely are. You've also come to realize that boys are stupid but if a sensible comes your way, then maybe you'll give it a chance; but for now, you're content with where you independently stand. And lastly, you have embraced a new hobby that has been extremely beneficial through the stress and drama of college: writing.

Now, I'm not encouraging you to change a thing about how your freshmen year went because you would not have grown into who you are now without these experiences and realizations. But I am encouraging you to embrace the positives that come your way and throw the negatives aside because you do not want to regret your freshmen year of college.

Sincerely,

A New Sophomore