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Paula Rawlings

Note to Younger Self || LTOYS


Dear Younger Self,


I’m going to give it to you straight. You are not going to graduate from college for a very long time. In fact, I’m not even going to give you the date I am writing this, but let me say you are still not graduated as of this day, but college is way more fun now than it was at your age.


To help you from getting discouraged, I will give you a few pointers as you finish your first semester. You know the class that you’re failing? It’s okay. People fail all the time. Just take the class again. Do you know that one teacher that doesn’t seem to have it all figured out? That’s okay too. Teachers don’t have it all figured out, either. Just do your work.


Now, don’t think too hard on this, but the guy you’ve been chatting online with, he’s pretty great, but enough about him. This is about school. Before you go much further in your education, think about what jobs you absolutely hate to do and then think about the kind of things you absolutely love to do—what comes naturally and what doesn’t. If you expect to hold on to a career for the rest of your life, maintain a certain degree of stamina throughout the day, and give of yourself for eight hours every day, what would you do to keep from getting bored, burned out, and stressed? If you don’t know, take some random classes. You never know if you’ll enjoy something until you try it, and you don’t want to spend four to eight years on a degree to find out you hate your job. Also, there is nothing wrong with taking your time. Not everyone has the superpower of going to school full-time.


As for next semester, pace yourself, and don’t wait till the last minute to start an essay. Also, it’s okay to take a day off here and there to take a breather. Rest and exercise help you come back to your assignments with a clear head and new insights. Here’s one last very important bit of information…don’t be shy. Talk to your classmates and teachers because the more you talk about your assignments, the easier it is to retain the content and get through the heavier assignments.


Merry Christmas!

Older Self


P.S. Don’t throw away your husband’s stuff. It’s not yours. Oh yeah. You get married and have kids. Crazy right?

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