Believe in Yourself!

August 21, 2022

For the first time since my kids began preschool, my late-August days aren’t spent helping them prepare for the new school year. Instead, they are both in college, and I'm getting acclimated to being a first-time empty-nester.

When my daughter graduated high school and began college in 2020, the focus was less on her rites of passage and more on how she was preparing to live in a dorm that would also be her classroom and dining hall. Two years later, when it was my son's turn, he experienced these same milestones differently and in ways that some would consider "normal." 

Unlike how I helped my daughter prepare for college, I began at my son's celebratory graduation dinner by reading a letter I wrote him. It included my words of wisdom and wishes for him that I wanted to share.

This is what I said: 

Embrace your next four years. You are there to learn, grow, experience, and achieve. 

Laugh. Have fun. Ask questions. Share your thoughts. Be adventurous. 

Never shy away from meeting new people. You may really like them. 

Be the best version of yourself, always.

Get out of your comfort zone. Take calculated risks.

Do things that will help you be a well-rounded young man. 

Be present, alert, curious, and engaged.

Ask for help, guidance, and support when you need it.  

Find new ways to do the things you’ve always done. 

Introduce yourself to your professors. Attend office hours. Ask questions. Review lessons. 

Don’t judge people or things you know nothing about. It doesn’t make you look good.

Do what’s responsible and right for you. Don’t automatically do what everyone else is doing. 

Remember that your health and happiness are always your top priority! 

Keep your room neat: make your bed, get your clothes off the floor, throw out your garbage.

Attend all of your classes—even the boring ones. Don’t skip any unless absolutely necessary. 

Eat healthy foods. Stay hydrated. This doesn’t mean fast food, soda, pizza.

Do the very things you want to avoid. It’s how you grow as a person. 

Be cautious but not too cautious. 

Know yourself – your strengths, priorities, challenges, likes, dislikes, wants, needs, beliefs.

Welcome feedback – think about what others say but remember, it’s OK not to agree!

Don’t procrastinate. Don’t say “later” or “tomorrow.” 

Move your body and exercise every day.  

Be accountable and take responsibility for your actions. 

Assume everything will take longer than you think – - studying, homework, getting to class.

Feel good about yourself and the choices you make.

Don’t be impulsive. Well, maybe a little, sometimes. Think about what you do before you do it. 

Make lots of new friends. Stay in touch with your home friends too. 

Limit your time on social media!

Go full circle with everything you do. What you’ve done is not complete until then.

Take selfies around campus and text them to your mom!

Embrace the unknown. Be open-minded. 

Remember to shave, change your contacts, and get the gunk out of your eyes.

Always put your keys and wallet in the same place so you know where they are.

Study. Do your homework. In advance. Not at the last minute. 

Make good choices today, tomorrow, and always. Have no regrets.

Find the positives in all you do, even your bad experiences. If you look, you will find them.

Be proud of who you are and what you do, always.

Call, text, and FaceTime mom, dad, and your sister regularly.

Remember who your biggest fans are!

Always believe in yourself!