Submitted By: Alex Li
Dear Freshman Me,
As the November 30 University of California application deadline came and passed, I can look back upon the last two months with a sigh of relief. The gruelling parts are over: preparing and taking standardized tests, asking for recommendation letters, and frantically meeting school paperwork deadlines. Reminiscing at my years in high school, however, I realize that it has gone by so quickly. I realize that I gained so much from high school, but I missed out of a lot of it.
High school has so much to offer, but when we just focus on our academics and grades we miss out half of the experience. There are clubs, shows and school sponsored events that make life much more vibrant. When I was a freshman, I missed out on that part of school life and really regret it. Dear freshmen me, why did you wait so long to work up the courage to join a club? When I later joined multiple clubs in my sophomore and junior year, I met many people who would become my best friends and had the opportunity to attend fun events to destress. Clubs also gave me opportunities to pursue my interests, and they definitely helped to make attending school more enjoyable. Mock Trial, Junior State of America, Leo Club, why didn’t I approach you earlier?
Freshman me, why did you procrastinate so much, staying up till 2 AM doing homework because you spent the first three hours at home playing video games and chatting on facebook. If only you had used your time more efficiently, you wouldn’t have gotten a B in Health or had to feel unnecessary pressure. You wouldn’t have been so sleep deprived you crashed into a tree while biking to school on the day of the Algebra 2 final which killed half your nerves on your right elbow, or you might have been able to finally learn to play an instrument or fix up your terrible singing voice.
Freshman me, why did you not go and play a sport? You could have developed your basketball skills or finally gotten yourself back in shape. Develop some more team skills and maybe even achieve some victories. Why did you not try out? Was it the fear of failure or something else, alass only you know.
Freshman me, if only you could see me now, looking back upon you and the time that has gone by. I miss you in some ways, and am glad to have survived in some ways. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors and hope that you find your passion.
Sincerely,
A senior Alex
