Freshman Self

A Letter to Myfreshman-year self

4 years later!

Dear My Freshman-Year Self,I am writing to you from four years in the future! After completing high school, I don’t have too much advice to give you. In fact, I want you to make ignorant mistakes because they reflect your largest growth in competence and maturity. Let’s start with some facts. Getting a B in Algebra 2/Trig is not the end of the world. Learning to embrace advice without being offended is a virtue. Also, trust me when I say that the teacher who calls you “his worst student ever” was having a bad day. Surprisingly, AP Chem is much easier than Chem Honors, but that is likely because of virtual learning. Virtual school is the result of a deadly pandemic. Those one and a half years of quarantine will be the largest surprise of your high school experience. I know that your main priority is FBLA and I admire your dedication to that club. Unfortunately, it does not work out. The only heartbreak you experience in high school is when you don’t get a presidential role in the club during senior year. You feel that your efforts over three years of involvement in FBLA amount to nothing. Even though this is true, I believe that your growth in maturity from being unfairly treated is more sig-nificant than any officer title. In retrospect, I only have one piece of advice regarding FBLA: please try developing a sense of fashion which does not incorporate officer merchandise.SeriPOSTSCRIPT | 31

ously, that navy blue quarter-zip from tenth grade is the opposite of style. It is so important to find the correct groups on campus. Become involved with more clubs and pursue any endeavor you are remotely in-terested in learning. Eventually, you will end up somewhere which makes you feel satisfied. There are going to be parts of high school that you miss. If possible, never deny an invitation to hang out with your friends. Also, maintain good connections with your teachers; it becomes much easier to ask for grade bumps. Ultimately, make sure to have fun! Take advantage of every new opportunity and live in the moment. I think you will end up enjoying high school. Best of luck,

Vishal P.S. Don’t make listening to hip hop a personality trait. VISHAL SHENOY writer