A Letter to My Future Self: Ishani

Dear Future Self, 

It still feels like yesterday that I was applying to colleges and choosing to spend the next 4 years at Wesleyan. As I started moving my items in my dorm room, it was surreal that I was actually going to college because of COVID-19 and hearing of many colleges closing. I was really excited to learn new things, meet new people, and start the next phase of my life. I had the expectation coming in that the college life of my first year was going to be different. The first two days were definitely difficult because the days went by slowly and I was in my room for the majority of the time. I would talk to my roommate, but I got homesick easily because I have not been away from home for such a prolonged period of time. I would constantly talk to my family and friends to help gradually get over my homesickness. It seemed like everyone had adjusted and was happy all the time, so I would act the same way. 

The next day, my classes started and I was excited to have some mind simulation as I have not learned anything new for months during quarantine. I also found the classes I am taking to be very interesting, so I would actually enjoy doing the work for the classes. I have a good balance of classes and tried to enroll in as many hybrid or in-person classes as possible. I am taking Calculus 1, Intro to Sociology, Biology with a lab, and a first-year seminar class. I enjoy learning about math concepts and solving math problems because it challenges my thinking. During high school, I really liked my biology class, so I am excited to learn more about biology. So far, I have learned so far about DNA replication which is a topic I find really interesting because it is fascinating to see how many processes our bodies undergo. My favorite part of biology is conducting labs, as I am a person who enjoys hands-on learning and I really like writing lab reports. I can’t wait until I have my first biology lab in person and am able to conduct experiments. I am taking a first-year seminar class that is about the history and culture of Indonesia and Indonesian dance. I was proud of myself for taking this class because this class is out of my comfort zone, but I am excited to perform different Indonesian dances. I have learned and watched videos on the different court dances, and the history and culture. I even learned some parts of a court dance and how to use the sampur, which was fun. The last class I am taking is sociology and this class seems like it is going to be interesting because I will learn basic concepts from a different perspective. I have learned about how life can be viewed as theatre and how everyone at some point plays a role, and relating this concept to how a funeral house functions. My next reading is about socialization and the three stages of the social construction of reality which should be interesting. I like how sociology topics can be related to real-life. Next week the quarantine is going to end and some of my classes are going to be in person, which is going to be nice and refreshing to not see people over Zoom. 

During the day, I was busy doing classes and some work, so my mind was preoccupied. I was kind of surprised by how much work I received during the week of classes, but it is fine because I found the work interesting. I like to take walks around the campus during the day to get fresh air and start to familiarize myself with it. It was definitely weird seeing so many people wearing masks everywhere and not knowing what their actual faces looked like. The first week of classes helped pass the time and did help with my homesickness. However, when I would talk to my friends and family it would make me miss them even more. For some reason, I felt like I was going to a summer camp and going home in a couple of weeks. I think the most difficult part of the first week was adjusting my mind to the fact that I am going to be independent and have more responsibilities. I was also worried about not being able to meet new people and make friends as it is an important part of having a good college experience. I knew it was going to be harder because of the restrictions but I did not realize how hard until I actually came here. I hear all the time about how people made friends for life at college and that is something I want to have. At a certain point during the first week, I did feel a bit lonely because it felt as if everyone else was making friends and I was the only one who was not. It did get better when I started to put myself out there more and do small things like eating or studying outside. After the first week, I have gradually adjusted to college life and I am feeling much better about it. I also can’t wait until the quarantine is over so I can hang out outside, go to the libraries, and actually eat in the dining halls to enhance the college experience. 

I would like to tell my future self to not procrastinate anymore and to get better with time management. Everything is going to get better and by the time of my senior year, I am going to have an amazing college experience. I am positive that throughout my four years, I will get a better understanding of what I am interested in through the different classes and experiences at Wesleyan. I cannot wait to see what you accomplish during your four years at Wesleyan!

From, 

Freshman Self

Written by Ishani Dave