I think the advice Cristian gave on attending FASTrack events and talking to other FASTrack students is helpful. I really like meeting new people, especially people from different regions and cultures. Though COVID-19 may cancel many FASTrack events, I will still try to make the most of them and attend the events that are interesting so I can meet new people. Another piece of advice I found useful was to keep in mind that nobody knew you in high school. You can go start on a completely clean slate. Maybe you were not the type of person to say high to anybody in high school, and people knew you as antisocial or not approaching. With this new clean slate in college, you can sort of choose how other people see you. Any mistakes in high school can be washed away.
I am most looking forward to being free and meeting new people. I am from California, so for the past 5 months I have had a lot of restrictions due to COVID-19. I feel more free here in Mississippi. I am definitely not looking forward to one thing, and I have been very stressed about it happening. Campus closing down due to an outbreak of cases is was I am most afraid of. I feel like it is very likely if not inevitable, judging by how infectious the virus is. I sincerely hope that if we do end up closing down, we still get the option to stay on campus and continue learning remotely. I do not want to go back home.
My advice for a high school freshman would be to make the most of their time. Time goes by slowly in the beginning but then accelerates. Eventually, you are in senior year before you know it. Participate in activities you are interested in. The most important piece of advice is to care about your grades early on. If you don’t care about your grades in those years, then your average GPA tanks for it. It could make the difference of going to your safety school or your dream school.
