Birthday Note—Lessons to My 19-YO Self
- ~Carerra
- Aug 20
- 3 min read
I turn 25 today.
(A quarter of a century already. Yikes!)
And as an ongoing birthday tradition, I’m writing letters to my past self.
So for today, I’m writing to my 19-YO self.
I’m not where I want to be (yet), but they say any lived experience counts, so consider this paying it forward.
Anyway, we move on.
Who was 19-YO Me?
Community college student, getting an A.Sc. in Computer Science.
Life was…starting to make sense.
Community service, school clubs, academics—You name it.
Java kinda kicked his butt, so he switched from Computer Science to Math…but still completed his Comp. Science degree.
He met people. Made friends.
He missed a few aspects, hence penning this letter to him.
You Will Lose Friends.
A stark beginning to a letter…but such is life.
Some relationships, understandably, are transient.
Some friendships are suitable for a specific time until their utility is resolved, then new friends come in, old friends ship out, and day-ones stay.
It’s nothing personal. It’s just…life.
You Will Make Friends.
Surprisingly, though, you will make better friends.
Because, “These are YOUR people.”
Lifelong mates with whom you’ll bond and collaborate to achieve your goals.
You probably don’t realize this yet, but you’re a big Ubuntu guy. (Not the OS.)
Ubuntu, being South African, for “I am because you are. And you are because I am.”
Mutual empowerment, so to speak.
And to conclude this part…
Some of these friends will practically be the reason you graduate from college.
Know What You’re Getting Yourself Into
I’m talking about your Math degree here.
So…you pivoted from Computer Science to Math. Interesting.
And you had your reasons why; Makes sense.
However…a pivot doesn’t guarantee it’s easy.
Especially with Math.
College Math - Not High School Math.
Anyway, read the curriculum beforehand.
.
You switched out of interest…but didn’t prepare for the storm to come.
And easily said in hindsight,
Math is the hardest thing you’ll do in your life…yet.But also the most fulfilling.
The same goes for everything else:
New job, new city, new skills, etc.
Take the time off to learn if need be.
Then start—Not necessarily when you have the full info,
But at least when you have an idea of what you’re plunging into.
You Need a Mentor.
Yeah…you need this one badly.
Think: You didn’t have an internship, you were doing okay in school—No harm done.
But you probably would’ve benefited from a mentor early on; Someone who would notice your potential and supercharge it for you.
But here’s the kicker:
You don’t know you need a mentor because you don’t have one. (“You don’t know what you don’t know.” Ideally speaking.)
And, funnily,
In your community, there was no mentor figure.
They were good people, yes, with well-meaning intentions,
But few stood out as a mentor in tutelage.
An exaggerated way of saying, “Mentorship was foreign to you.”
And it’s not until you get your first mentor three years later that you realize the power of mentorship and giving back.
Anyway, kiddo, get yourself a mentor.
Or at least let me be one :)
Happy Birthday Kiddo.
You’ll live long. 🙂
God bless you,
.
.
.
~T.K.K
Subscribe to The Weekly Chronicle Newsletter for motivational insights and high-impact ideas in under one minute. Delivered every Sunday.
Comments