Lehigh University Athletics
From the Future: Dear Freshman Emma...
4/21/2015 9:26:00 PM | Student Athlete
Dear Freshman Emma,
Wow! Time sure does fly when you're having fun! These next four years will pique your curiosity about who you truly are and you will grow into a young adult. Sure, most of us begin college as an "adult" because we are 18, but this is truly just a number. Between all the difficult times college entails and the new relationships that develop, this roller coaster of emotions will lead to four of the greatest years of your life so far.
Beginning college at a new school without knowing anyone is terrifying, especially being across the country, away from all that you know. But you actually will become the complete opposite of terrified. You will be warmly welcomed into the union of a sisterhood that truly became your home away from home. This team, referred to as the glorious LUSB, is nothing short of that. With the help of your new group of friends and always being immersed within the student-athlete family, your peers will soon turn into your closest friends. I know you will remain close with them even after you graduate.
The plentiful leadership programs on campus bring variety to the student-athlete community and you will find your home with Student Athletes Leading Social Change (SALSC). By participating in these groups from early on freshman year, you will meet and develop even more friendships that you could not have thought possible before entering the prestigious doors of Lehigh University. In addition to expanding your social groups, you will encounter the role of responsibility in many different ways, one of which will be fundraising to send a few people to a destination that helps rebuild areas or schools in need of help. Through the numerous leadership opportunities at Lehigh, you will end up embracing a more mature version of yourself.
Although college is mostly fun, the academics at Lehigh are no joke. If I were to take one major lesson out of my last four years, it is to not compare yourself to others. This will be a rude awakening at first when you realize that earning a "B" at Lehigh deserves the same recognition as an "A" in high school. Understanding this is one of your most difficult challenges throughout college academically. However, fighting an internal battle with yourself is not worth that stress because you will be successful here and will continue to be successful when you graduate. Your success is not determined by a grade or a GPA, but rather by how you progress and learn from all opportunities presented to you. Acknowledging the time and effort you put into being your best self is what truly matters in the end.
Your future has always been mapped out--elementary school, high school, then college. Graduating from this "final step" is overwhelming and unnerving. The details of your future are still yet to be determined. Sure, maybe you could go straight to graduate school if you take more classes every summer, but you'll choose to follow your passion and do some traveling. Don't worry, you won't feel any regrets from this decision.
The lifelong friendships that you will make while at Lehigh will mean the world to you. I cannot wait for reunions together where we will laugh about all our college memories, while continuing to make more. If I could go back and do it all again, I would instantly choose Lehigh University for so many reasons. Those late night study sessions at STEPS, eating ice cream out of the pint or getting back from games at 2am and having class at 9am the next morning, will actually make for some of the best memories that will last forever.
Yours truly,
Senior Emma
