As I prepare to enter my freshman year at Virginia Tech, I have been reflecting on my past and how my views, expectations, and personality have changed. In case time travel will soon be possible, I think that the best way to show my growth is through a letter to my younger self.

Dear Younger Self,

You have just entered middle school. You have gone from cubbies to lockers, from sitting in the same classroom all day, to alternating classrooms every 90 minutes. You meet new friends from different elementary schools and you have discovered the Pop genre of music. You start shopping at Aeropostale and you want to start wearing makeup to fit in with the “popular crowd”. You feel that being to the smart kid is now overrated and try to sound dumb to impress others. You also try cussing for the first time because all the other cool kids are doing it. However, you will soon going to realize that none of that matters as you enter your freshman year of high school.

Once you reach high school, you will find your place with the “try-hards,” those driven to constantly get A’s. They will challenge you and make you a better student. The only makeup you will end up wearing by your senior year is mascara because you’ll need that extra 30 minutes of sleep. You’ll stop straightening your hair and just stick with the curly hair mousse and hope you put enough in to prevent frizz. You will stop cussing because you realize that it makes you look/ feel like a bad person. You’ll join the cross country/track team. Your teammates will make you feel like you're somebody and they will support you through everything.

You may be mad now that Mom never lets you go anywhere, but when you're at your senior homecoming dance, you’ll wish you were at home watching "How I Met Your Mother" or "Friends" instead.

You're not going to meet the love of your life in high school. You're going to find that you would rather be single because you won’t have to answer to anyone. You are going to be your own person, strong and independent.

Don’t worry about trying to impress others with the clothes you wear. You’re going to be more focused on getting at least a B on your AP Chemistry midterm. You are going to want to be known as the smart, quiet girl. You’re going to score well on your SAT’s and get into one of the best colleges in the country. You’re going to end your senior year with a GPA greater than 4.0 and finish in the top ten percent of your class.

Your senior year is not going to be the best. In fact, it will be the worst year in high school. However, this is the year to builds you. This is the year that determines what you're going to do with your life and the person you want to be. In general, high school is going to let you down. You’re going to want to leave as soon as possible and will try your hardest to move on. However, as you are typing this article, you will begin to realize that the school you hated is why you are the person you are today. You will feel grateful for the hurt it caused you. You will be thankful for all those that you met, even if some of them let you down.

I will leave with the most important advice I can give you, do not ever change who you are. You will find your crowd. You will find people that will help you reach your goals. Your best and most fruitful years are ahead of you. I promise.

Good luck and Godspeed,

Future You