If I could sit down with my freshman-year self, I would probably start by telling him to breathe.
You do not know it yet, but the next four years will challenge you, humble you and shape you in ways you cannot imagine. Right now, you are walking onto campus with big dreams, quiet fears and the pressure of wanting to prove yourself. You think success has to happen immediately, and that every missed opportunity means you are falling behind.
I would tell myself that rejection is not the end of the story. There will be moments when doors close, when people overlook you and when opportunities that you want go to someone else. Those moments will sting. You will question yourself more than once. But what you cannot see yet is that those disappointments will build your resilience and lead you to places you never expected.
I would tell him to trust his voice.
There will be times when you wonder if your ideas matter or if anyone is listening. Keep writing anyway. Keep speaking anyway. Keep creating anyway. Some of the things you make will connect with people in ways you never imagined. The stories you tell and the risks you take will open doors, introduce you to incredible people and remind you that your perspective has value.
I would tell him to appreciate the people who believe in you.
There will be professors, mentors, supervisors and friends who see something in you before you fully see it in yourself. Listen to them. Thank them. Stay close to people who encourage your growth. Their support will carry you through some of the hardest moments.
I would also remind him to be kinder to himself.
You are going to work hard. You are going to care deeply. You are going to want everything to happen now. But life rarely works on your timeline. Some blessings arrive later because you need time to grow into them. What feels delayed is often preparation.
And, I would tell him to enjoy Miami more.
One day, the campus that feels so ordinary will become a place you miss deeply. The walks to class, the late nights with friends, the spilling-tea-sessions on the gliders, the feeling of being young and building something for yourself, all of it will mean more than you realize while living it.
Most of all, I would tell my freshman-year self this: The version of you that exists four years from now will make you proud.
You will earn opportunities you once only dreamed about. You will grow stronger through every setback. You will learn that hearing “no” does not define you. You will meet people who change your life. You will become someone that younger you would look up to. You will heal and fall in love with life.
So breathe. Be patient. Keep going.
Everything you are hoping for will find its way to you. Because at the U, the opportunities that are meant for you will always find you.