You Will Go Far, Little Me

If I could write a letter to my freshman self, here’s what I would say.

Dear Little Me,

If I could give you one piece of advice about the future, it would be to stay strong. The world is not going to be what you envision because you have spent your life in a loving household that did everything it could to protect you from the world. You will soon realize your childhood shielded you to the point where you did not experience or witness many of life’s hardships.

Turning eighteen and going to college is going to be the most educational, hard, and fun four years of your life. Don’t be scared! It’s okay to feel nervous about getting a fresh start, but don’t let your spirits falter. Everything will turn out all right even if you don’t always think it will. As you progress through your freshman year, you will obtain a new perspective on everything. You will learn how to stand up for yourself and speak up against others who try to make your feelings less valid. You will meet people who always wait for you to fail instead of hope to see you prosper.

Oh, Little Me, young and naive girl who has no idea what is to come in the real world . . . You don’t know how much hate runs the world and the people around you. You will be shocked to discover the tragedies that have happened to your newfound friends and what they endure on a daily basis. You will become their smiles and their shoulder to cry on when they need you most.

By Rebekah Icenesse

You will realize how different the world is from what you thought while living at home. Once you shed that comfortable shelter, you will be a witness to the true struggles of mental illness, discrimination, and depression. You will gain empathy that will help you stay strong for yourself and others who need you.

But the further you get into college, the more the world will continue to change. You will reach a point where you cannot walk safely by yourself anymore. You will soon find yourself in a world plagued by sexual harassment. You will live in a world where women can’t walk outside without facing catcalls. Sometimes you will walk with your keys in between your fingers in one hand and pepper spray in the other. People will catcall you while you walk down the sidewalk at the university, and you will feel the disgust that hits you immediately afterward. Men will approach you at parties, and you will realize not everyone has good intentions.

You will encounter heartbreak. Your feelings will be hurt by people you didn’t think would harm you. You will feel disappointed and disrespected, and you will cry over men who are not worth it. You will feel insecure and wish you could change how you look and your shy personality, but you have to put yourself first and prioritize your happiness. Always remember you are beautiful, strong, and capable of doing anything you want to do. You will stumble into holes you feel you can’t escape, but you will recover anyway.

You will fall down, Little Me, but you will get back up. You will fall down again, and you will get back up again. You will keep going and pushing no matter what happens. You will make the most out of any situation. It sometimes may feel like the world is against you, but that’s not how it’s going to end for you. So don’t worry about what you can’t control. You will learn to accept that not everything will turn out how you plan it, but you will keep growing and changing. You will continue to be who you are: the smiling, happy girl who spreads love to others.

Little Me, you have so much going for you in life. You have no idea! You will make a lot of mistakes—some you wish you could take back—but you will transform into a strong, independent woman who doesn’t live life in fear.

I love you, beautiful. You will experience great opportunities, so don’t worry too much. Love,

Your Senior Self BURST 15