Dear Freshman Me,

Hey girl! You’re starting your freshman year at West Delaware High School. And I’m here to help give you some advice to make high school flow. 

Let’s dive in. Feeling flustered yet? Good. Me too. And I’m a senior. So here’s the deal, it’s OKAY to be overwhelmed. It is okay to be freaked out. Just remember to take a deep breath, and it’s going to be okay. Absolutely no one has any idea what’s happening so don’t try and control anything that you can’t. You only have control over two things in life. Your actions and reactions. So control what you can. Keep pushing yourself to grow and strive for excellence. 

Perfection is your biggest enemy. Here’s what I mean. When you try and be perfect, you lose sight of your true goal. You need to focus on enjoying the moment you are in and quit trying to be perfect because it’s impossible. As Coach Jennie Voss says, don’t be a “ditto player.” Get better every day. 

Next, you and your best friend are going to get into a huge fight sometime over something dumb. Probably over a boy. I’m not gonna tell you to avoid it because it’s inevitable. Your friendship will grow tighter than ever in the future because of this big fight you’ll have. So I’m just gonna cut to the chase when I say always choose your friends over boys. Love your girlfriends more than your boyfriends because your girlfriends will always be in your wedding… but your boyfriend is a toss up.

Another person you will come to love is your freshman English teacher. But let me tell you, freshman year, she’s gonna irritate you a lot. She will push you. She will test your writing skills. She will make you a better person whether you want to see it or not. Don’t hate her for it. She knows how much you can accomplish, and she will push you until you get there. No matter how many tears you shed in her room. Cry yourself a river, and get building, because she won’t let you sit there forever, and she’s not building your bridge for you. 

So just know, I’m so proud of where you will get yourself in life. If there’s a goal to be reached, you’ve got this! Shoot for the stars. Always be looking forward, but never forget where you came from. Good Luck!

Cheers,

Senior Year Me