Letter to my First-Year Self — Rachel Matayev
Dear freshman Rachel,
First of all, congrats on finishing four years of high school. Definitely not the easiest task, but better believe they prepped you for college! Though there are no more 7:00 a.m. labs or two and a half mile runs, there are a new set of challenges awaiting you (spoiler alert: you’ll still survive). There won’t be any more hand holding and you’ll have to make your own schedule. You’ll have to work in big girl activities like volunteering and research completely on your own, and find a decent studying spot on campus (not sure you ever did that). It’ll be a lot to take in for Rachel from Townsend. On top of this, your first year will put introversion to its limits: a year of remote learning because of COVID is not the most heroic way to start college, but then again it can and will only get better. College will bring a new set of opportunities far greater than its challenges. It will give you the freedom of choice; how to spend your very precious time, and with whom. It will expand your mind both inside and outside of the classroom. It will show you the importance of slowing down every so often, but also when to pick up the pace. Most importantly though, it will bring some truly great people into your life. People who you will laugh with when writing 10 page papers. People who will lend a shoulder to cry on when orgo kicks your butt (sorry about that by the way). People who will push you out of your comfort zone. People who will make you want to be a better version of yourself outside of academics. Believe it or not, it’s the people who walk in and out of your life that define college, not your grades. Whatever happens over these four years, you’ll look back fondly on this time and will appreciate each and every experience, pinky promise.
See you on the other side,
Rachel from NYU
