THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN JOURNEYS SUMMER 2023.

I was tasked with giving you salient advice about adjusting to the unpredictable college experience you will soon embark on. However, while I would love to give you the magic key to unlock the secret of life over the next few years, there unfortunately isn’t one. I’m about to start my final year of undergrad, and I still find myself constantly stumbling through the uncertainty of life outside of the high school cafeteria. So, instead of playing the role of an omnipotent guru, I’ll just tell you some things that I wish I had been told before leaving Singapore.

First, and most importantly, laundry might honestly be the most monotonous and labor-intensive task you have ever come across. If you have an in-unit washer and dryer, congratulations! You won the lottery. Nothing spurs thoughts of existential dread like staring aimlessly at your clothes furiously spinning in a sea of soap bubbles.

On a less angsty note, make sure to budget properly, continuously, and extensively. Food is expensive enough when you cook on your own, but your bankroll will inescapably take a serious hit when you explore the area you’re in. Combine basic necessities with socializing, dates, going out, and transportation, and you might be in for an unpleasant awakening unless you budget carefully.

Speaking of socializing, you are most likely entering an environment significantly larger than that of SAS. You may, consequently, feel isolated in a sea of new faces. First of all, feeling alone or homesick or sad or anxious isn’t out of the ordinary. College is the epitome of change and adjustment, and feeling some discomfort with these experiences is NORMAL. However, if you feel you are facing more serious mental health issues, it is imperative that you go out of your way to ask for help, whether it’s talking to a friend, therapist, support group, family member, or professor. If Jordan needed Pippen during the flu game and if Barack needed Michelle to win both times, then it’s naive to think you can do it all on your own.

Some of you will inevitably get your first ever bad grade. Some of you will experience heartbreaking relationships. Some of you will struggle with friend drama. Some of you will struggle finding a job. Some of you will experience all of these things and more at the same time. Not to sound like a broken record, but you are not alone. In moments of hardship, it feels like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. I promise you that there is. In those moments, take a second, catch your breath, and remember that the most important target is preserving your happiness. Sometimes that message can get bogged down by the perfect storm of mishaps around you, but don’t ever forget it.

And finally, before coming to college, I was told that having fun should be my primary objective. Going through it now, I don’t disagree, but in my opinion your goals should be much more nuanced and deliberate. You should without question have fun, make mistakes, try new things, and seize every opportunity that comes your way—socially, professionally, and academically. But, most importantly, you should figure out who you are and what makes you happy. Specifically, ascertain what will make you happy in the short and long term, and find a balance between fulfilling both those objectives.

That being said, all the SAS graduates I know are crushing it at university, and I know you will too. Good luck and make the most of it! These years are truly better than you could ever imagine.

Love, 
SJ
Satvik Jain, Singapore American School, Class of 2020;
University of Chicago, Class of 2024