A letter to my college years

Dear Freshman Me,

Photo provided by Kaleigh Hunt.

I’ve been thinking about you lately—the wide-eyed, half-lost, Redbull-fueled version of me who thought they had to figure everything out by graduation. You were in such a rush to become someone, not realizing that you were already someone worth becoming. First of all, no, you will not marry your highschool sweetheart (thank god), but you will meet so many more people that it will feel like that part of your life was decades ago. In the future, you still struggle to put your laundry away (sorry about that), but you have a better grasp on what the point of all this really is.

Here’s the thing: college life is lived and perceived differently for everyone; for some, it’s frat parties and bars every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, attending every game, and really getting involved on campus. For others (like us), it’s a lot of working, late-night studying in your college apartment that you share with someone who’s basically a stranger, and sticking with your hometown friends.

Photo provided by Kaleigh Hunt.

It took you a long time to come to terms with the fact that both paths are perfectly fine. You spent a good chunk of your college years stressed out that you weren’t measuring  up to the lives that every other UK student was living, and even now I sit back and wish I would’ve gone to more games or that I would’ve made more lifelong friends. But honestly? I love the people I have in my life now, and while I can’t say I’m leaving school with a whole suitcase of a dozen new besties or wild experiences, I am leaving with a more confident, grounded version of myself— one that 18-year-old me wouldn’t have anticipated. You don’t have to go to every party, you don’t have to spend every dime trying to fit in and be a part of things that don’t bring you joy. Your grades absolutely matter, but so does your sanity.

The independence and self-discovery you gain throughout the four years at UK is honestly astounding. Somewhere between late-night homework sessions, impromptu ice cream trips, and all the breakdowns in between, you start to figure out who you are, at least a little bit. 

Photo provided by Kaleigh Hunt.

I still don’t exactly know where I’m going career-wise, and maybe that’s okay. What I do know is that I don’t want to live my life with regret or constantly wondering “what if.” I want to chase the opportunities that bring me joy, say yes to new experiences (even the ones that make me want to throw up), and let go of the pressure to have everything perfectly planned out. Because if college taught me anything, it’s that the messy parts (the detours, the surprises, the moments of not knowing what comes next) are usually where the best stuff happens.

So here’s to trusting the process, and to never making myself small just to feel safe.

Photo provided by Kaleigh Hunt.