A Letter To My Freshman Self

Knowing what I know now, and after everything that happened (both the good and the bad) I would go back and give my freshman self a hug and tell her it’s all going to be okay. I would tell her how much she’s going to thrive here, how quickly Le Moyne will start to feel like home, and how she’s about to meet some of the best people in her life. There will be countless memories, laughs, and even a few tears along the way.

I’d tell her not to worry so much about “fitting in” because life on The Heights is about so much more than that. We really are a ’Phamily, and people will welcome her into the pod with open arms. And that roommate she’s nervous about meeting? She’s going to become her rock, her best friend, and together they’ll find the people who make Le Moyne feel like home.

Coming to college, I was so worried about being alone and on my own for the first time. Looking back now, I’d tell my freshman self that it’s all going to be okay. There will be tough days and moments when she misses home, and that’s completely normal. I’d tell her it’s okay to call home when she needs to (although maybe not call her dad every single day, even if he would happily answer every time).

I’d also tell her that she’s far from alone. Within the first weekend, she’ll already start finding people who will become some of her closest friends throughout her time on The Heights and beyond. And most importantly? Bring the blanket that smells like home no matter how many times it gets washed. There will still be days when she curls up with it after a long week, and somehow it will make everything feel a little more familiar again.

I would tell her to put the phone down a little more often and take breaks from academics once in a while: the assignments will still be there later. Some of the best memories she’ll make at Le Moyne won’t happen in the classroom. They’ll happen at athletic games, playing pool at the pub, exploring downtown Syracuse, and spending time with the people who will make campus feel like home.

I would tell her that her time on The Heights will be better than she ever imagined, and that the moments she least expects will become the ones she remembers forever.

There will be moments when she triumphs and moments when she falls short, but through it all, she’ll fall more and more in love with the campus on top of the hill. Most importantly, I would tell her that her time at Le Moyne will be better than she ever imagined — and that it will go by far too quickly.

So I would tell her to hold on tight, because Le Moyne is ready for her, and before long, she’ll realize she was ready for this too. She should soak in every moment of the short time she gets to live life as a ’Phin.

The best thing about hearing from students (and alumni) like Paige is that they remember exactly what you’re thinking about what it will be like to move onto campus!