Oct. 30, 2013
Lexis Zeidan is a Homecoming Ambassador and a senior communication major in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences with a specialization in public relations and a minor in sociology. She is a member of the Honors College.
“If I could write a letter to me, and send it back in time to myself at 17; first I'd prove it's me by saying look under your bed…”
Hold up, Lexi you could write a letter to yourself, but instead, let’s write a letter to MSU’s incoming freshmen.
Thanks for the inspiration, Brad Paisley.
First and foremost, welcome class of 2017! If you have not officially been dubbed a Spartan, I dub you one via this blog post. You’re part of the Green and White family and there is nothing (at least not yet) you should be more proud of!
So, freshmen:
As I type, I sit in my room replaying the same song “One Moment in Time” over and over again. I reflect on the line, “Each day I live, I want to be, a day to give the best of me. I'm only one, but not alone; my finest day is yet unknown.”
I’ m thinking about how perfect that one line reflects my life, in fact, our life, as of now. Looking back on my past three years of college I can rightfully say, “Wow, what an experience this has been, and what an experience it will be for you all.”
So what exactly have I experienced that you most likely will experience too, and some advice I would love to pass on to you all?
- I hope you checked out Sparticipation. I have Sparticipated and still do Sparticipate in Sparticipation. There are an umpteen amount of campus organizations that are fun and exciting so this is my first piece of advice: I highly suggest scoping them all out. That’s one thing I was told to attend as soon as I got on campus and I couldn’t be happier that I did. Don’t be afraid to join organizations you never thought of or to be part of Greek Life or to not be a part of Greek Life. If there is one thing I wish I would have done as a freshman, it would have been to join groups that were out of my element.
- Take part in the student section during football season. Even if you don’t like football, your student section experience should be given a shot. It’s an opportunity for you and your fellow Spartans to be unified, in one area, most likely sporting the same colors, chanting the same cheers and enjoying the very moment that you all are together.
- Utilize your resident assistant inside your residence hall. They’re upperclassmen, and chances are they know a lot more than you do. This is one thing I didn’t do as a freshmen and I missed out on building a great relationship with someone!
- Use the Writing Center/Learning Resource Center/Women’s Resource Center. Also, www.msu.edu and its search box will become your best friend.
- Meet with your adviser as often as possible. They are there to help you so utilize them and never be afraid to ask questions.
- Be part of the Izzone campout. Sadly, I must say I’m going to be a senior and have yet to campout for Izzone tickets. DO IT. I have made it a goal to do it this year because you cannot graduate a Spartan and say “I did not campout for Izzone tickets.” Chances are, you’ll be standing in line six hours in advance for a basketball game, but with your friends, it’s worth it.
- Be aware of the CATA buses. Learn the routes, utilize the CATA, it will be your best friend. But when you’re walking, watch out for them!
- Attend Spartan Remix.
- Go to an event at the Wharton Center. It is absolutely beautiful.
- Stay organized and prioritize school and social gatherings. MSU has some of the most outgoing, friendly people, so chances are your list of “Things To Do” will grow fast. Make sure you always put school first because that can easily be forgotten.
- Explore campus. Visit Beaumont Tower and have lunch in front of the fountain that sits in front of our library. Stroll into the Beal Botanical Garden and study in all the beautiful, hidden places around campus.
- Don’t lose your syllabus and don’t ignore it. Literally, the syllabus for your courses will become your best friend. Hang them on your dresser, cork board, have a copy in your backpack. Wherever you go, your syllabus should go!
- Get involved in service-learning and volunteer projects throughout East Lansing.
Overall:
There are going to be times where you have to stand up for what you believe in, and then there are times where you have to keep quiet for the sake of…keeping quiet. The most amazing part is that throughout it all, you will learn so much about your friends, the way society—and most importantly—you have turned to look at things. Learn to define yourself and to not BE DEFINED.
That brings me to this—you’re entering college where you know three people really well (if you know more that’s awesome!). You’re probably thinking “Great! Now I have to rebuild this reputation and start all over from scratch.” But c’mon Spartans, think about it! You have lived in your hometown all your life. You have been exposed to the same old thing over and over again! Now, you—yes you—are beginning a lifetime of discovery, you are going to put the pieces together only to find out, time and time again, that somewhere along the way, the puzzle has changed on you.
So my advice is to just keep doing what you’re doing. Keep working towards your ambitious goals, but don’t ever beat yourself up for not having it figured out—it’s really all part of growing up.
This is what I learned and what I leave you with: you’re walking into a HUGE university so have fun and try things out. When I say “things” I mean events, social groups, even different personalities. Realize that whatever you classify as your “comfort zone” is only a result of your former self.
Although each one of you can rightfully say you experienced a lot in high school it will be nothing compared to your experiences here at MSU. You will be shortchanging yourselves if you do not try out things that you would normally consider “uncharacteristic” of yourselves.
Walk into whatever event you may be attending, whatever club you want to join or simply whatever social gathering you’re going to and be revitalized and reassured—be proud that you’re DIFFERENT. Don’t let your differences melt and dissolve with everyone else—embrace them and enlighten others with your diversity. Once you discover and own this sense of pride, you’ll be able to discover and create yourself into the person you want to be.
You need to know that where you end up will be your personal haven because you have complete control over who you are. So how I see it, the most disastrous and emotionally scarring encounters will always be bearable if you know there’s that light at the end of the tunnel. You can always guarantee yourself that—it’s all just a matter of choice on your part.
So, what’s it gonna be!? I can see you all shinin’ already.
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