Dear First-Year Ruqayyah

Congratulations! You’ve made it to this milestone, and this accomplishment deserves celebration! I know you’re incredibly nervous about this upcoming year. You’re thinking, “will my classes be too much for me to handle?” and “will I make any friends in this huge sea of people?”. I want you to understand that everything will be okay, so stop stressing girl!

Starting this new chapter of your life may seem intimidating and something you feel you’re not entirely prepared for. What’s important is to understand that it’s okay to feel this way, and it’s okay if everything doesn’t go the way you had planned it to. Your first year is the time for you to navigate your way through new challenges and experiences. Now is the time for you to learn how to manage everything that comes with university life, discover your interests, and meet “your people''!

I’m going to tell you now: yes, you will nearly fail your first calculus quiz because the questions were way too hard compared to high school; and yes, you will do horrible on your first economics quiz because there just wasn’t enough time to finish. But don’t let this bring you down! Figure out your unique way of learning, ask for help and most importantly, make sure you have a group of people in your life you can talk to and rely on whenever you need them.

Making new friends will seem hard at first, especially being an off-campus student. The key is to find an excuse to talk to other students around you, and find a common interest to talk about. Whether it be about the class you’re taking together, or the fact that the two of you have been humming to the same Camilla Cabello song for the last 5 minutes while waiting for class to start (trust me this will happen!). You will meet so many new people and make some good friends, with some of your favourite memories involving these amazing people.

As long as you keep giving 100% and maintain a positive mindset, everything will work out fine and before you know it, you’ll be starting your fourth year ready for yet another challenge.

Love,
Fourth-Year Ruqayyah