To the UMich Class of 2020

There’s nothing like spring at U of M. The weather gets warmer, the Diag starts getting crowded again, and the next class of Wolverines start getting their acceptance letters. Ah, freshman year – what a time. I remember when my journey as a Michigan student began: helping my mom load up our Explorer with my brand new comforter, stopping at the bloodbath that was the Target dorm section, and heading over to the tiny, sweltering room that would be my new home.

By this time, Class of 2020, I’m sure way too many people have looked at you and said wistfully, “Enjoy it. It goes by so fast,” before presumably grilling you about your ACT score, major, and tentative 5-year plan. People said that to me, too, and I’m living proof that they’re right.

By some tragic twist of fate, three years have gone by, and when you’re meeting your new roommate at Markley, I’ll be making the drive back to The University of Michigan for the last time (assuming I don’t fail all my classes next year in a feeble attempt to stay). As sad as this is for me, I feel like it makes me uniquely qualified to pass down a bit of wisdom to the Class of 2020. So here it is, every piece of advice I can give to you about Michigan, the greatest university in the world, before I start my final year here.

You’re not as smart as you think you are, and that’s OK

You wrote for your student newspaper AND played a varsity sport AND served on student council AND were at the top of your class? Great. So was I. So was every other person on this campus, and they did it all while also volunteering at the local elderly folks home/animal shelter/food bank and conducting research on a cure for the common cold, or something.

You were probably one of the brightest people at your high school, but you’re at Michigan now, and you need to leave that arrogant attitude at the door. You’re not going to be the smartest person in the room anymore, and you might start to feel overwhelmed – a small fish in a big pond. But that’s okay! Because everyone’s feeling that way. It’s a good thing. It means you’re starting to feel challenged – by your classes, your professors, and by your peers.

The great thing about Michigan is that the students here will push you. They will challenge your views, engage you in intense, fascinating, intellectual conversations about anything from politics to Kanye West, and, ultimately, make you a better person. As a student here, you’re going to be sharing the room with some really brilliant, passionate people, and all that’s going to do is make you more brilliant and more passionate. And, hey, you’re never going to be the one who does the most work in the group project ever again.

Leave your comfort zone at the door

Here’s a brief list of things I’ve done at Michigan that I never thought I would: write comedy, try Irish dancing, sleep on a street corner, join a sorority, play broomball, crowd-surf, pet a kangaroo, get hypnotized, attend a drag show, play Quidditch, go sledding at midnight on a Wednesday before an 8am class, ride a mechanical bull, and a whole host of other things that I probably shouldn’t mention in this article.

Try something new. Become friends with someone who’s nothing like your friends from high school. Say yes when your roommate invites you somewhere, even if it sounds like it’s not your thing. Do something stupid, at least once. Steal a tray from the dining hall and go sledding, or build a snowman with  your roommates, or wake up at 5am to watch the sunrise in the Arb even though you have studying to do. You have carved out this time in your life to figure out who you are, and the only way that happens is by taking risks.

Be spirited

I looked at a lot of different schools before choosing Michigan, and they were all beautiful and full of some really smart, interesting people. But U of M stood out to me because it had a sense of spirit and unity that was so unique. People are proud to go here. They love Michigan. Get ready to love it, too.

Dress yourself in full maize and blue regalia and wake up at 7am to tailgate on gamedays, then head to the stadium and experience the totally surreal feeling of sharing a connection with thousands of other people. Paint your face, go all out, and cheer for your team, whether that’s women’s gymnastics or optiMize. Find something you’re passionate about and dive into it. Class of 2020, don’t ever think you’re too cool to be spirited. You go to Michigan, remember? That makes you a nerd already, anyway.

Don’t feel bad if you’re not in love with Michigan right away

Freshman year is exciting and fun, but it can also be really difficult. Class of 2020, remember that relationships take time, even the relationship between you and your school. You’ve been living in the same place with the same people your entire life, and suddenly you’re all alone in this totally new environment living with a stranger from the opposite side of the country, and you’re expected to just be cool with it? No, you’re going to struggle, especially the first few months. You’ll be homesick, stressed, overworked, and wondering who you are and why you’re here and if any of it is even worth it.

My advice? It is. Hang in there, and you’ll be glad you did. Once you get over that initial hump and start figuring this place out, you’ll realize there’s a reason Michigan fans are as passionate as they are. It’s because this place rocks. Take some time to adjust. Let yourself fall down and break down and whatever else you need to do, then pick yourself up and keep going. One day, you’ll look around and wonder how you ever considered Michigan anything but home.

Embrace change

I’m nothing like the person I was when I was in your shoes, graduating from high school and going out on my own for the first time, and I’m thankful for that every day. I am not shy or self-conscious or scared. I am smart and funny and confident, and for the first time in my life I feel like I have a voice that I’m comfortable using. I like the person I am and the person I’m becoming, and I owe all of that to Michigan –  to the friends who’ve built me up, the professors who’ve challenged me, and the place that’s made me someone I’m proud of.

Class of 2020, my final piece of advice is to let this place change you. You will never be the same person you were when you stepped foot on this campus.

You will be so much better.