Dear me of freshman year:
Congratulations! You have become the first member in your immediate family to go to a four-year college. You will attend Lasell College and decide to become a sport communications major.
Christian, you think that freshman year begins in September when classes start? You are sadly mistaken my friend.
Freshman year begins as soon as you graduate high school. Guess what Christian? You will have to attend orientation a few weeks after graduating. Even though you may be surrounded by people in similar situations, you will learn about college life real quick. You will realize that this is their first taste at freedom. Thus, you will shutter when you hear others talk about drinking and doing drugs because that is not what you do.
Orientation will teach you one thing, yet you will still make this mistake, do NOT try to pick a roommate on the Class of 2018 Facebook. When you meet that person, Christian, you will not like that person. That person does not behave like you and have the same maturity level as you.
Fast-forward to mid-August and you decide to try out for the men’s soccer team. I don’t know if you remember Christian but in high school you had doubts about trying out. However, you are here now and nervous as hell. Fortunately, players around you will notice and try to put you at ease, which you will greatly appreciate.
During that tryout, you lose the doubt of being able to play soccer in college. Christian, you can play with these guys and make it competitive!
However, that is not how college soccer works. You meet with the coach and he tells you you won’t make it because the team has three returning goalies and he will not carry a fourth. You appreciate the opportunity but dammit, I know you are angry and hurt by this decision. Hell, you won’t stick around and say good-bye to anyone but you are secretly motivated to prove you belong on the team.
Since you got cut from the team, you will have to return back home to Gardner, MA until move-in day. Move-in day as a freshman is stressful for three reasons: this is your first time away from home, you are living with someone else, and your friends from home are not with you. When moving in is done, your mother, who you love and continue to love dearly, will begin to cry. Her little boy has taken another step toward growing up!
Christian, your first semester of freshman year will be a huge learning experience. You will have two or three classes a day with loads of free time. Remember Christian, you’re here for academics, not to fool around and stay out till past midnight socializing.
As a result, you do not do as well as you want academically first semester. You will enjoy some classes, and despise others. You will withdraw from a class with a terrible professor, get chewed out for being close-minded in an open environment, and not put forth your best effort.
On top of not doing well academically, you will struggle socially. You will find some friends that you and your roommate enjoy hanging around. However, you begin to realize your roommate and a few friends like to party, which is the understatement of the decade. Plus, you become slightly jealous and realize your roommate hangs out with someone more than he does with you.
A series of events will lead you to do something you do not want to do but it will benefit you later. Christian, you will take the initiative and ask for a room swap with your now ex-roommate’s best friend on campus. Although you have no clue who your new roommate is, you will prefer to live in a quiet room.
With this room change, an unintended consequence becomes you will train harder to make the soccer team. Christian, when you meet Shaka (Jonathan Hislop), tell him thank you. He is going to not only help you make the soccer team; he is going to help bring your confidence up. Before, believe it or not, you thought about transferring to UMass Amherst just so you could go to school with your friends from home. Now, you have a new sense of purpose and you appreciate going to Lasell.
Remember that class you withdrew from in the fall semester? You might not believe it but that was a blessing in disguise. That withdrawal led you to take Criminal Justice 101.
In that class you will meet Bri Robbins. Christian, Bri Robbins is a huge deal at Lasell College and she will intimidate you. Despite your initial hesitancy, you will muster the courage to talk to her and she will allow you to write a profile on her for your Writing for the Media class. Christian, you should go back and give her a big hug because she will become the big sister you never had and help you a tremendous amount.
Before I leave you Christian, thank Sharyn Lowenstein as many times as you can. You will take her Honors 101 class and your eyes will be opened to gender issues you never cared about before. Plus, she will lead you to a club that holds a special meaning to you now.
That club is the Barry Price Club, Christian. This club, you are told, allows you to participate and interact with people who have intellectual and/or physical disabilities. You know how important it is for them to interact with their peers because your brother, Brandon, with autism experiences the same thing. Be proud of becoming a member because you will become a co-president with Sarah Laclair, someone you will grow to admire.
Now take a deep breath and enjoy the treacherous ride called college. Also, don’t forget to call your parents every day!