Trust your choices

First-years, I feel your gnarly stomachache.

I, too, spent a Friday in humid South Bend unloading my parents’ black Suburban. Technically, I guess it’s been three Fridays. 

And I remember the moment just before stepping out of the car three years ago, when my mom turned to me and gave a much needed pep talk.

“Remember, you’re at Notre Dame,” she said. “You worked so hard to be here. You can do it!”

You likely have been told something similar today by a proud parent, encouraging hometown friend or wise usher. And they’re right. 

But during the next few weeks, you will likely confront a haunting concoction of uneasiness, stress, pressure and loneliness. 

(This is where you stop reading and take a deep breath.)

Some people meet lifelong friends today, but most don’t. Anticipate not enjoying all of your classes. Know that your life shouldn’t be figured out at this very moment. And perhaps don’t expect to ace every class, no matter how many APs or IBs you excelled in. (You can still win a Nobel Prize.)

Not everything will go smoothly. You may show up to writing and rhetoric ridiculously early on Monday and wander around the dining hall for your first southwest salad on Thursday.

Trust me, we’ve all been in these situations. And with time, you'll learn to accept something I wish I had learned earlier: Listen to your gut reactions and wait for your Notre Dame to crystallize.

Easier said than done, of course. But with time, your angst will steer your purpose and help you flee the queasy unknown. 

You’ll know if sitting through gen chem is worth your time, which dining hall is better and who your friends are. 

There are many spaces and people on campus to help discern your path. Engage with campus events, visit the Grotto, talk to your neighbors and — most importantly — attend football games. Don’t be afraid to spontaneously join clubs and change your major, if you know and feel it’s for the better. 

One of the best decisions of my life was impulsively joining The Observer. It eventually ruined the idea that I would be a physician, and I’m so glad it did.

Remember, your short time at Notre Dame will fade. Game days will expedite weeks. Semesters will soon fade into the distant past.

And the best way to seize this time — and find your Notre Dame family — will be trusting your intuition.