December 4, 2019

Dear Freshman,

Right now is an exciting time. It’s the start of something new. It may feel nerve racking
or you may feel like this is the best day ever. Quick story before I keep going, on my first day of
class there was a very small chance for it to rain and on my way to class the bottom dropped and
the wind was so strong my umbrella broke, like I said ‘exciting’ time. I use this as an example to
say you never know the challenges you may face, like who knew it was going to actually rain,
and in that moment I considered turning back but I kept going and showed up to class dripping
wet on the first day.
For many freshmen college is much different than high school, so do not be afraid and get
stressed when you are challenged. I encourage you to meet new people and get involved in
something on campus your first semester. Also, I know you are excited to do new things and
make new friends, but I want to encourage you to remember why you are really here. Stay
focused, have fun but most importantly stay true to yourself. If going out is not your thing then
don’t, you can still make friends. Do not allow the choices many others make to pressure you
into something that you aren’t comfortable doing.
When I came in as a freshman I had this terrifying image of a professor and none of the
professors or instructors I had my first semester were like that. I encourage you to do something
that I was told to do but didn’t listen to initially, reach out to your professors, ask them questions,
and go to their office hours. A lot of times if you make an effort so will they, and that will only
be beneficial for you in the long run. Another really important piece of advice, it will be
beneficial for you to know where you can eat on campus because waiting in line at Russell at 12
is only going to make you late for class, but if you really want Chick-fil-a figure out Russell’s off
times.
One of my favorite memories is when myself and a group of my friends went and
explored Columbia one Saturday because not only did we get to know the city better we made
some good memories, so I encourage you to get out and experience the things around you. I hope
your freshman year is filled with unforgettable memories, new friendships, and the beginning of
an amazing journey for you here at the University of South Carolina. I wish you the best of luck
and I hope you have an amazing time.

Good Luck,
Caitlin