I know only being out of high school for a summer isn't that long but I am currently sitting at the edge of my bed, suppose to be cleaning my room but got side tracked as usual, when I came across my yearbook. So I decided to read signatures and with over thirty sincere and meaningful signatures; I started to get an ache in my heart. It's all over and it just hit me now. They already handed me the diploma and I'm out of that school forever.
Which is a good thing because it's time to experience new and great things, however is also sad. I made friends that I'll keep but already lost some. I learned more about myself and became the person I am today because of high school. And even with mixed emotions about high school a part of me wishes I could do it all again. So with all this being sad here is a letter to incoming freshmen:
Dear incoming freshman,
I know the words written are probably ones you've heard before or they're words that you don't think apply to you, I promise you they do.
The morning before your first day of ninth grade you can hardly sleep. Patiently waiting for the sun to rise so you can get ready. It's time to meet new people and maybe start a fresh start for yourself. You take your morning shower, get dress and some of you will skip breakfast which will become a habit for you. But make sure you always grab something to eat before school. It will put you in the right mood.
Now you're at school your hearts racing and your speechless. The school is bigger than you remembered during your eighth grade visit. Some of you are lost so you ask an upperclassmen for help. They send you too the wrong class because they find it funny. Which for them it is, because they were there.
You get some your first day of school and your classes sound fun and your teachers sound great. But as the week progresses it all begins to get harder. It's not like middle school anymore when during the first week of school you get to know each other. You get right to work.
Some of you have decided to take on clubs and sports. You made a wise choice. Get involved, make new friends and learn new things. High school is NOT just to sit in a class room and read from a text book.
Now you're a few weeks into school and there's an open house party. You and your group of friends decide to go, because high school party! So why not?
You all get ready together and all tell one another parents your sleeping over the other persons house. You get to the party and there's alcohol everywhere, people are hooking up and people are experimenting with drugs in the upstairs bathroom.
ifi you do not want to do something, you do not have to do it.
You think they're going to make fun of you Monday in first period for not drinking, but they won't. You think that if you don't drink or smoke pot that you're not going to fit in or be considered "cool." I promise you that isn't how it works. Always be yourself. That way you'll find your crowd of people anyway.
With that being said. It's okay to party if you want too, just be careful. It's okay to stay home to study for that test on Monday. I hope you get an A! It's okay to date the girl/boy everyone finds weird. Haven't you seen the movies?? They usually end up happy in the end despite other people. Prom king and queen isn't as big as you think. In fact, it's not even going to be the girl everyone finds "popular."
And in a blink of an eye your onto your senior year. It was just last year you took SATs, studied every night and went for college visits. Now it's a chill year. You have amazing things coming up. Enjoy them. This is it. This is your time to be young and free because you're running out of time to do so. This is the final chapter of your life before u take that last step from childhood to adulthood. Enjoy it.
Because soon enough you'll be like me. Getting my school supplies ready for August 24th, working two jobs, possibly interning and trying to save as much money as possible. Don't stress over the people who don't try to stay in your life and focus on the people who make the efforts you make. Stay happy and take care of yourself. And love yourself always because no one is ever going to fully love you like you could.
Now take a deep breath and enjoy the next four years of your life.
Sincerely,
An upcoming college freshman
Recommended for you
1. For all of the endless hugs and kisses you always seem to smother me in.
2. For teaching me how to cuddle and being the best cuddle buddy still to this day.
3. For teaching me some of the best "mom dance moves"
4. For pushing through all of the sleepless nights and still being super mom.
5. For not killing me every time you found me cutting my own bangs.
6. For showing me all the classics and helping me develop a good taste in movies.
7. And for watching the ridiculous reality TV shows with me because no one else will.
8. For helping me with all of that awful homework that even you couldn't understand.
9 For giving us a taste of our own medicine when we needed it.
10. For setting my curfew at a reasonable hour to ensure I didn't get into any mischief. (I was still able to accomplish a little mayhem though)
11. For spoiling me as a little girl but making me do chores as I got older. I now understand the point of having a clean house.
12. For being the best host to all of the weird friends I would bring over.
13. And for standing up for me when those weird friends stabbed me in the back.
14. For listening when I needed to vent and always giving the best advice possible.
15. For being the absolute best cook. No arguments there.
16. For answering every single phone call and the millions of questions that I always have.
17. For letting me form my own identity and encouraging me along the way.
18. For going on shopping dates with me and always telling me your honest opinion.
19. For rolling the windows down and singing along to the music with me.
20. And for being the best mom possible. I love you!
1) Hot showers
Anything with steam. The bathroom in my apartment has a built-in vent system when you flip on the light. However, this isn’t very helpful when you’re congested and you’re trying to use the steam so that you can breathe again. There are two options; 1) you can keep off the lights and use the flashlight on your phone to light the bathroom or 2) you can boil water in a pot, remove it from the heat, cover your head with a towel, and inhale. It looks really weird and you have to be careful not to burn your face on the steam, but it helps clear out some congestion.
2) Over-the-counter medicine.
Vitamins, supplements, Airborne, Mucinex, Dayquil, Nyquil (for bedtime), all of it. When self-medicating you have to make sure that you’re not taking too much of one type of medicine. Use Google to make sure your meds are compatible. Also, read all of the directions; you don’t want to accidentally take too much of something. If you’re feeling nauseous, eat peppermints.
3) Honey.
Honey is a natural healing-agent. If you have a sore-throat you can coat it with the honey. Raw-honey is the most effective type when trying to make yourself feel better. Also, honey in tea is amazing.
4) Tea.
You’ll feel like a damn Brit. (lol, JK love those Brits!) Actually, though, chamomile tea is really good, there're types of tea that help promote relaxation (I love those). You can brew up some tea, put honey in it and it tastes sooooooo yummy! It also helps you sweat out the sickness, stay hydrated, and the steam from the cup helps congestion. Same thing goes for soup, plus it tastes delicious.
5) The expensive tissues.
Yes, it's tempting to buy the super cheap tissues because college kids are poor, but when you’re going to be blowing your nose 80,000,000 times a day, splurging a bit for comfort is the best option.
6) Vicks.
Do you know how many ways you can use Vicks chest rub (or the rip-off brand) to help yourself get better? It’s insane how many places this stuff helps! For a congestion, under the nose clears that out. A cough, putting Vicks on your chest helps you breathe easier. For a sore-throat, you can rub it on your neck and throat and it’ll ease the pain. The weirdest, but best, place to put Vicks is on your feet. It will cause you to sweat. It’ll make the fuzzy stuff from socks stick to you, but it works so well!
7) Rest and avoid alcohol.
I know, rest is hard because we have so much work to do but take an hour long break every once in a while, go to bed at midnight instead of 3, avoid partying. It sucks if you like parties and want to go out, but your body will thank you and you will feel better with the weekend off!
8) Call your mom.
I’m pretty sure this is advice that I give in everything that I do. My mom is a major supporter of me though, and I do call her a lot. She took care of me for my entire childhood, she took care of my sister too. Mom’s have life experience and just know how to help their children if they can. Even though my mom isn’t anywhere near my school, when I’m sick she comforts me and makes sure I’m doing everything possible to feel better, because she’s my mom and that’s what moms do.
9) Go to the doctor.
If you think you really have to. Personally, I avoid doctors on campus, I try to avoid them at home too. I’d much rather take care of myself with honey and over-the-counter stuff but to each their own.
In college, it takes 0.0000002 seconds to catch a sickness that can put you out of the running for a really long time if you don’t take care of it. When I do all of the things listed, except go to the doctor, it takes me about a week or week and a half to fully recover. Best of luck avoiding the on-campus plague, the odds are not in your favor.
Trending Topics
Trending Stories
Best of Student Life
