Recently, I stumbled upon an old Facebook memory. On December 16th, 2016 I posted about my acceptance into the University of Massachusetts Amherst. When my Facebook memories brought up the post, I could not believe that it had already been three years since I was first accepted. I sent a screenshot of the post to some of my friends here at UMass and we all could not believe how old we felt. It was surreal to see that letter again after all these years, especially with my time here at UMass quickly coming to a close. This letter resurfacing made me stop and think about who I was then and who I have become now. While I am incredibly proud of the person I was, there is so much I wish I could go back and tell myself. With this in mind, here are four things I wish I could tell my past self before embarking on my journey here at UMass. 

Be More Open Minded

When I applied to UMass more than three years ago, I was dead set on majoring in English and pursuing a career in education. Little did I know that I would be majoring in English and communication now as a junior here at UMass. Honestly, back in high school, I did not even know what communication was, let alone considered it a possible major or career path.

While I did consider myself a rather opened minded person, I thought I knew it all when it came to what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I wish I could sit down with my past self and encourage her to explore all the possibilities here at UMass early on.

Do not limit yourself to one path. Use this time in college to explore who you are and what you want in your life — and use your time wisely. I can say now, over three years later, I am grateful for having explored different career paths here at UMass and cannot imagine where I would be without this exploration. 

Make the Most out of your Time 

College is a time for you to meet new people and take advantage of all of the opportunities here at UMass. Do not keep pushing off getting involved. I know you, you will keep saying next semester will be a better time, but no time is better than right now. Trust me, I regret not getting more involved on campus earlier on. I wish I had more time to enjoy the organizations I am a part of — it is one of the biggest regrets of my college career.

While I can ensure you that everything will work out in the end, joining clubs and putting yourself out there on campus will only benefit you. So, what are you waiting for?

You Have the Greatest Friends 

Both at home and here at UMass, I am incredibly fortunate to have the greatest friends in the whole world. Coming into college, I was genuinely scared of leaving my friends behind and never being able to make friends that compared to them in college. I was also scared of growing distant from them and losing them completely due to this life change. While I do think that these are completely valid concerns, I wish I could assure myself back then that everything will be fine.

Your friends back home still love and care for you, they always will. Time and distance do not mean you will lose everyone at home who cares about you. Keep in contact when you can make sure to reconnect when you are home, and everything will be fine. As for in college, you will have the best group of friends who will make the transition into college such a breeze. They will be your friends for life, remember that!

Breathe and Enjoy the Ride 

Take a deep breath. There is going to be a lot of change in your life over the next four years. There will be highs, lows, and a bunch of needed self-discovery and change — embrace it all. Take this time before entering college to relax, spend time with friends and family, and take care of yourself above all.

College can be stressful, so you need to learn how to relax and take care of yourself. Trust me, you will thank yourself come college.

Take it from me, even the hardships you will face will be opportunities for growth in the future. Just remember to breathe and enjoy the journey ahead of you. You have so many great experiences waiting for you!