You will meet the best friends you will ever have during this period of your life. You will remain best friends for the next twenty years. Hold on to these people, they will serve as an important part of your adult life. You will not graduate from college on time. You will leave school sans degree to take a job. Eventually you will return to school, a bit wiser, and finish your degree. You will feel ashamed that finishing your BA took you so long, don’t. Do to this embarrassment you will not attend your college graduation. This will disappoint your parents, but they won’t tell you this directly. Don’t be so damned prideful, no one really cares but you. Your first “real” job will be working with children. You will feel inspired. You will try to get into a masters program, but you will not be granted admission. Those old feeling of embarrassed and shame will rear their ugly head once again. You will feel like a failure. Don’t beat yourself up over this. You will then move to the city where you will live a beautiful apartment. When you move from this location you will miss the wonderful sounds of the city at night. This period of your life will challenge you like you have never been challenged before. You will feel horrible; it is perhaps the darkest period of your life. In the end you will emerge the victor, but it will not be easy. Do not give up.
You will move many miles from home where you will spend many years working on your PhD. These years will challenge your strength of character as well as your persistence. Remember those old friends? They will help keep you grounded and sane during this time in your life. Be kind. Love you family and your friends. Help those who have not been as fortunate or as lucky as you have been. Remember that you are never alone.