A letter to my first-year commuter self

By Haya Panjwani

Dear Freshman Haya,

Congrats on officially becoming a Coog! It’s been a long time coming. Your mom is very proud of you, and she has full faith you’ll be able to attack anything that this college life throws at you.

Although, as excited as you are to start this new life in college, you’re probably just as upset about the fact that you aren’t living on campus, and you’re living far away from all the action at school. Let me tell you, you’ll be just fine. Here’s why ...

The thing is, you’re pretty lucky to be someone who can go home to your parents at literally any time. Your friends on campus will tell you how much they miss home when they’re sick and how much they wish they could have warm soup from home.

Instead, they’re likely going to order soup that’ll cool down by the time it’s in their hands. You get the lovely advantage of the comfort of your own home, where you can make soup in A POT, in A KITCHEN — a luxury many people who live on campus don’t necessarily have.

Another amazing advantage you have is that you’ll know the city of Houston better than any of your friends. Since you’re a commuter, you’ve avoided sitting through hours of traffic, and instead taken the detours around town to get to your destination. So when you and your friends want to spend a weekend out on the town, you won’t even need your navigation!

Sooner or later, you’re going to realize that all these detours you’re taking helps you find new places that you would have never discovered if you were confined to the campus. For instance, you found your favorite coffee shop by going behind Highway 59, instead of waiting on that forbidden intersection that haunts you everyday.

If you’re worried about missing out on the memories you make living on campus, that should definitely be at the bottom of your list of worries. You’ll make friends whose floors you can crash on, and you’ll negotiate a curfew with your parents where you can stay super late on campus since you’re just chilling with your friends at their dorm.

Plus, your parking pass lets you park almost anywhere on campus after a certain hour. So if you parked near your classes, you can move your car to be close to where you and your friends are hanging out.

It feels like the end of the world, I know. You met all these people at orientation and you keep hearing about them living on campus. Let me tell you, when you have a very long, fun day at school and come home, you will be extremely thankful for the comfy bed you have at home.

Just focus on making some great memories, doing the best you can in school and making the most of these golden days. Commuting will be the last thing on your mind when you graduate. What you will remember though is all the fun you had and the memories you made.

Yours Truly, Senior Haya

By Sofia Gonzalez

College is hard. It’s the time to find yourself, but it’s also the time when some students begin to feel the worst that they have ever felt about themselves. The coronavirus pandemic has made this worse for some college students. It has made students feel stuck, as if every day they are just going through the motions. However, this does not have to be the case. If anything, now of all times is the time to challenge yourself and take that first step towards growth.

Create a list of goals that you would like to achieve. People always talk about manifestation, but little do they know that it actually takes work. Believe it, work towards it and you will achieve it. Writing down these goals makes it all the more real. For some, writing these goals and hanging it up where they can see it every morning helps, too.

Once you have your goals written down, figure out ways that these can be achieved. Ask yourself questions relevant to your goals such as: should I be connecting with people on LinkedIn? Should I be enrolled in more classes, or working harder in classes? What is it that will help me reach these goals?

For most college kids, all they want are good grades, an internship and a balance between their academic and social lives — which is where a routine comes in handy. Routines allow you to get the academic work done and assist you to plan your free time to keep up with your social life.

Having a routine can be boring, but it is essential. The most successful people have everyday routines. Find what works for you and do it. Within this routine, find time for yourself — whether this be meditation, reading time, pursuing your favorite hobby or interest, or even time to wind down with a favorite TV show or video game.

Now, focusing more on professional growth — let’s remember our friend LinkedIn. This is the place to get started with a career.

Connecting with individuals will help you grow immensely. It is especially helpful to reach out to people who have traveled down the career path that you are wanting to one day travel upon yourself.

By utilizing this social network, you can connect with those that are in roles you would like to be in one day, and more than likely, once connected, they will gladly answer any questions you may have — they might even be open to the idea of becoming your mentor.

Never forget that being stuck inside due to a pandemic does not mean that you have to become stuck in life. There are an abundance of ways that you can use this time to grow. Now more than ever we have this extra time on our hands to take care of our personal, academic and professional growth. So yes, college is a difficult time, and right now with the pandemic, it might feel almost impossible to grow and be successful, but with the right mindset, it can be achievable.