Monday, November 9, 2020
Dear <<First Name>>,
Happy Monday, Deacs! With a global pandemic, a national election, and a hybrid semester that is swiftly headed towards final exams, it is more important now than ever to communicate with one another. We should not hesitate to reach out to our friends, Resident/Student Advisers, Professors, and other resources for support when we need it. This is a notoriously difficult time of the semester in any given year, let alone 2020. You are not alone and we, the Office of Academic Advising and the Wake Forest community, are here to help!
Before we jump into today’s Letters So Dear, we have some important announcements to share:
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International Education Week will take place on Monday, November 16th through Friday, November 20th and is sponsored by Center for Global Programs and Studies, Intercultural Center, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, East Asian Languages, and Campus Recreation. More information about the various events can be found here.
Today, our “Letters So Dear” series continues with a message from an anonymous submission:
I dreaded the college process. I made up any and every excuse to avoid writing my college essays. What made matters worse was the fact that all of my older family members and friends felt the desire to share how they had the “best college experience.” Left and right, people revealed stories to me that they believed every college student should experience. All of a sudden, I felt the need to achieve and chase after other peoples’ college experiences.
As a society, we crave certainty. We feel steady and satisfied with it. Uncertainty, on the other hand, can be terrifying and can strap you into a rollercoaster of emotions. The highs of the rollercoaster make you feel like you have attained certainty, and the lows of the rollercoaster make you feel like you have completely lost yourself. The loops that join the highs and lows exist as the chance events that could take you in either direction.
After hearing my friends’ and family members’ college experiences, I was at the top of a loop, certain that I knew exactly what my college experience would entail. However, as I listened to more and more stories, I realized that no story sounded like the next, that no one person’s college experience was exactly like another person’s. All of a sudden, I immediately hit a low in my rollercoaster and panicked about my undefined college experience.
Yes, certainty can provide ease and comfort, but it can also lead to a narrow mind as you cannot envision all of the paths that you can walk down. It is not said enough, but it is ok to be uncertain. You do not need to know exactly how you want your college experience to unfold during your first year. Everyone experiences college differently, and everyone experiences life differently. So, jump into your uncertainty and explore all options, routes, and avenues. Eventually, you will end up where you need to be. Just remember to be open-minded when you go around one of the loops or hit a low in your rollercoaster ride.
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