To My Freshman Self,

With graduation a little over a month from now, it’s hard to believe I’m wrapping up a chapter of my life. These past four years, despite its challenges and triumphs, were some of the best years of my life. From moving into the residence halls to finding some of the more important people in my life, I found a home within the University of Nevada, Reno.

College will not always be what you imagine it to be, but the support system you build and the resilience you demonstrate will push you further than you can imagine. There will be days where you have it all figured out, and other days will leave you reassessing who you are. Regardless of your journey, the lessons you learn in college are ones to hold on to.

Always be on the side of believing in yourself

Whatever it is, do what your gut is telling you to do, especially when you’re finding a million reasons not to. Find opportunities to challenge you because more often than not, taking a chance on yourself presents more valuable takeaways and is never a mistake.

When you find it impossible to believe in yourself, look outwards

While you find yourself internalizing what’s going on in your life, find people who believe in you and use their wisdom as motivation. Whether it be friends, professors or advisors, there will always be someone who believes in you wholeheartedly. Take their advice and run with it.

Ask for help, even when you think you don’t need it

In my case, this pertains to therapy. There’s a stigma in seeking professional help, but the reality is, sometimes we all need an unbiased set of ears to listen. There will be a lot of change in college. Some of these changes may be too overwhelming to process alone. It’s okay to ask for help, whether it be professionally or someone you trust.

Love yourself

You’re going to be pulled a million different directions throughout your college experience. Assignments are due by midnight; your friends want to hang out; there’s a pile of laundry waiting for you in your room; you signed up to a handful of clubs on campus; and you have work in a couple of hours. Take a step back, breathe and readjust your priorities. It’s okay if you don’t accomplish everything in one day, but it’s important to take time to care for yourself. This includes going to bed – your morning self with thank you for it.

These four years are going to go by in a blink of an eye. While you’re still here, think of what you want out of these next four years. What kind of stories do you want to share with others? How do you intend to focus on yourself? What kind of connections do you want to make? It’s not to say you’ll have this all figured out by your senior year, but these questions can help mold how you live the next four years. Regardless of how or what you do, don’t forget to live in the moment. What’s in front of you is all you’ll have, so you might as well make the most of it.