Student Blog: A Letter to My Freshman Self

Dear 18-year-old me,

Hey, you! First of all, I'm super proud of you for getting through the first couple weeks of freshman year! You've met some cool people, gone to some parties, and, yes, auditioned for some things. I know a lot of the initial excitement has worn off and you're starting to question why you went to this school in the first place, but hang in there, it gets so much better.

Soon, you'll get into a musical and not care what role you get - you'll be pleasantly surprised at how often you're on stage, and even more pleasantly surprised at how much your cast and crew welcome you with open arms. I know you never thought you'd end up in Delaware out of all the schools you applied to, and I know you might roll your eyes when I say this, but everything truly does happen for a reason. I also know that you're stubborn, and are going to try to convince yourself that even though you're having fun and making so many new friends, you're miserable and need to transfer to one of the big-city schools you had originally set your sights on. But you stick it out, and by the time your first opening night comes, you'll know exactly why you picked UD. Plus, the prospect of lower student debt is definitely something you'll thank yourself later for.

Through theatre, you meet many of your best friends. You'll spend every day in a tiny little office, in a rehearsal room, or at someone's dorm or apartment, having laughs and making memories. You'll also half-joke that you spend more time doing theatre, from rehearsals to staff meetings to move-ins and strikes, than work for your actual degree. You'll even confirm what you want to do with your life through it. And that'll be true until about March 2020, and I'll let you find out what happens then. All I want to say is do not, and I mean do NOT take a single moment for granted. Yes, your walks all around campus can be stressful, and classes, relationships, and theatre can be emotionally draining, but you will miss these moments especially as they are taken from you in the blink of an eye.

And yet, despite normalcy and "the college experience" ending prematurely, you're okay. In fact, you might be better off than before. Yes, you miss performing and haven't been on a stage in nearly two years, but it hasn't crushed you in the way you thought it could. The thought of not performing for a semester used to be nightmare fuel, but now, you've learned that you can also spend time with your theatre friends (as well as the other friends you've met at UD and study abroad - oh yeah, we go to Australia), and even yourself, and still feel like a new-and-improved version of yourself. You also have become so much more emotionally intelligent and confident over the years, and that's something to be extremely proud of. You'll go through some tough times over your next four years, but, honestly, you wouldn't change a thing. Everything you will go through is so, so worth it. And while it's hard for 22-year-old me to watch younger friends have a senior year I had envisioned and didn't get, you'll not only be happy for them, but you'll also be happy that you have no regrets about where your life has taken you.

You got this.

Much love,

22-year-old me