DonBrown
New member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2026
- Messages
- 14
Saw a kid in the library today. First semester, probably. Had that look I remember. The "I have no idea what I'm doing and everyone else seems to know" look. He was staring at his laptop like it might attack him.
I wanted to tell him something. But I'm old and weird and didn't want to scare him more. So I'll tell you instead.
I was that kid. In 2008. Freshman at Georgia State. First in my family to go to college. Didn't know how to register for classes, how to talk to professors, how to do anything. Spent my first month lost and terrified. Dropped out after one semester. Took me 16 years to come back.
Here's what I wish someone had told me then:
Nobody knows what they're doing. Those confident kids? They're faking. Maybe better at faking, but still faking. Everyone is making it up as they go.
It's okay to ask stupid questions. The stupid question is the one you don't ask. I've asked advisors the same thing three times. They don't care. They'd rather explain again than fix a mistake later.
You belong here. I know the voice in your head says you don't. That you got in by accident. That they'll figure out you're not smart enough. That voice is lying. It lied to me for 16 years.
Failure isn't final. I dropped out. Spent years working jobs I hated. Came back. Now I have a 3.7 GPA and my daughter thinks I'm a genius (she's wrong but it's nice). One bad semester doesn't define you.
Find your people. There are other scared kids. Find them. Be scared together. It helps.
If you're that kid in the library, or any version of that kid: keep going. It really does get better.
I wanted to tell him something. But I'm old and weird and didn't want to scare him more. So I'll tell you instead.
I was that kid. In 2008. Freshman at Georgia State. First in my family to go to college. Didn't know how to register for classes, how to talk to professors, how to do anything. Spent my first month lost and terrified. Dropped out after one semester. Took me 16 years to come back.
Here's what I wish someone had told me then:
Nobody knows what they're doing. Those confident kids? They're faking. Maybe better at faking, but still faking. Everyone is making it up as they go.
It's okay to ask stupid questions. The stupid question is the one you don't ask. I've asked advisors the same thing three times. They don't care. They'd rather explain again than fix a mistake later.
You belong here. I know the voice in your head says you don't. That you got in by accident. That they'll figure out you're not smart enough. That voice is lying. It lied to me for 16 years.
Failure isn't final. I dropped out. Spent years working jobs I hated. Came back. Now I have a 3.7 GPA and my daughter thinks I'm a genius (she's wrong but it's nice). One bad semester doesn't define you.
Find your people. There are other scared kids. Find them. Be scared together. It helps.
If you're that kid in the library, or any version of that kid: keep going. It really does get better.
