I’m a little bit of a sap, and if you have been following my articles, or you know me already, this is not news to you. That being said, I love time capsules, I love memories and walking back through the past to understand how you got to where you are now. If there is something I could have done freshmen year, I would have created a time capsule for myself to have before graduation. Not to say this is only restricted to freshmen, but I do recommend creating it up to at least one year before graduating. Maybe nothing will have changed, maybe you’ll still have the same major, the same favorite songs and silly catchphrases. Or, maybe you’ll realize you grew so much more than you realized. College is about growth and this is a way to relive that feeling and truly feel good about how far you have come in life. It is a way to appreciate what you have been through. Has my sappy, motivational speech convinced you to make a time capsule yet? If so, here are some ideas of what you absolutely need to include:
This one is sort of a cliche, but even if there is only one thing you leave for your future self, let it be this. It’s a blast-from-the-past experience. Tell yourself what you think you will need to hear at that time of graduation. Reassure yourself about your fears of graduating and having to go onto the real world. Congratulate yourself on your graduation. Encourage yourself to continue working towards your dreams without holding anything back. Tell yourself, honestly, what you know you will need to hear.
We’re always so embarrassed about our past selves and the strange phases we went through; so to add a little humor to the time capsule, make a list of your favorite things. Talk about where you shopped, an item of clothing you wore way too much, your favorite places to eat, and your favorite foods. What were your favorite things to do? What was your favorite color? All of this is relevant. Who knows how much you have changed–it’s inspiring for us to see our own growth.
Write yourself another letter about your current situation and what your life is like. Be honest, I know you may want to filter out the bad and “forget” to mention the guy you’re currently with or talking to. The important part about this letter is seeing how far you’ve come, how much you’ve grown, and the things that changed for the better. So, mention that current boyfriend, your stresses, hopes, aspirations, best friends, accomplishments, and even failing your calculus test. When you look back at it and hear yourself worrying, stressing, and hoping, you become so much more aware of why everything you went through was so necessary to get you to where you are.
Include some of your favorite pictures. Maybe you will cringe at them when you look at them years later, or maybe part of you will relive all the crazy things you did and the people who made it worth it. Some possible pictures could be you and your friends at FSU games, pictures from parties, your Halloween costume you wore to Bajas, pictures you took at organizational events, and even poorly taken pictures with your roommates. Don’t limit yourself or think that they have to be top-notch photography–the goofier the better.
Remember when “Gangnam Style” by Psy was a thing? No? How about the duo LMFAO and their hit “Party Rock Anthem”? Looking back you probably think that you were crazy for loving those songs and that is a feeling we are going to recreate for you now. Make a playlist on your Spotify, on a sheet of paper, or on Youtube, whichever music app you prefer. Start with five to ten songs and add more if you wish. Make them songs you are obsessed with–your go-to songs if you will. This should be interesting to listen to in a couple years.
Also, try throwing in some memorabilia, objects that have value to you or memories attached. Some example items include a rope for honors societies, bands from clubs you went to, tickets from FSU events, shirts you cut and don’t plan on wearing, and notes your roommates or family gave you, the possibilities are endless. The point of these objects is to remember the feelings you had when you first got them and the memories you associate with them. Like the wristbands from clubs will remind you of that night you went out with your roommates when you should have been studying and somehow ended up at a fraternity house playing Wii bowling at 4 am. Despite how specific that was, I promise that never happened to me.
Last but not least, remind yourself of the amazing school you chose to go to. These items could be things you keep with you as reminders far beyond this little project. Include a shirt from FSU homecoming, more tickets, pictures at games, scores of the games you went to, and anything else that reminds you of your time here. I distinctly remember the day I found out I got accepted here, as well as two other schools (I only applied to three). It felt like I was choosing my path in life and on the day of your graduation, don’t forget where you’re graduating from or how far you have come.
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