Introspection: examination of one’s own thoughts and feelings.

Upon reaching a major life milestone–moving to a new city, starting a new job, even achieving that personal goal of trying every burger joint in your hometown–it’s natural to reflect on the path you took to reach this milestone. Graduating from college is no different. This life-changing event can come with excitement, stress, anticipation, as well as a shifting of identity that can send the steadiest person on a new course. In these milestone times, it can be helpful to engage in a bit of introspection, to understand where you came from and where you wish to go.

Welcome to our inaugural edition of Letters to Myself: Words of Advice and Encouragement. In this series, recent graduates of the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at the University of Florida reflect on their early experiences in the department and share what they’ve learned, what they might have done differently, and their dreams for the years ahead. Our hope is that these letters offer reassurance and guidance for those beginning their college journeys.

Our first letter-writer is Rachel Stennett, a graduate of the dietetics program in the UF/FSHN Department. Rachel is also the winner of the FSHN Department Senior Distinction Scholarship this past April, a prize awarded to the outstanding senior in each of the department’s three majors. In this letter, Rachel addresses the first-year version of herself as she examines her time at UF and looks to the future.

Dear Rachel,

Hey you!

Or, I suppose in this case, hey me! Congratulations on graduating from high school and getting accepted into university. I know a lot has happened this past summer. Among finding a place to live, navigating broken friendships, and learning to love yourself, it seems like everything is falling apart right now. Part of the journey is experiencing it, so I’m not here to give you a blueprint of how you got through the new wave of chaos called “freshman year.” However, I promise you, it will all be fine in the end. You found people who love and care about you. You found a way to pursue your goal of getting a dual degree in dietetics and psychology, and you’ll be starting graduate school soon at the same university. Everything that you ever wanted is slowly falling into place.

Even though the dust will settle for a new phase within our lives soon, our 20s will continue to throw curveball after curveball.

You will have moments where you laugh so hard that you won’t remember the last time you cried, and times you cry so hard that you won’t remember the last time you laughed. I know I promised that everything would be fine in the end a few sentences earlier, and it will be again—soon. Right now, I’m at a time in our life where the future seems scary and uncertain, just like it does for you now. So, while I come bearing advice to help guide you through your next four years, selfishly, I’m hoping to find some clarity for myself, too.

I am not saying this to you to try to scare or discourage you. Instead, I want this to remind you that life is supposed to have seasons. No matter how many people may question your certainty in yourself and your choices, it is important not to lose sight of your primary goals during times of big change. Thanks to the sacrifices made by your family and the achievements you have made, you have the chance to take your college years to develop your sense of self. Your core values, what you want others to remember about you and learn from you, and what you deem just and unfair are all being formed at this time. While everything else in your world is fluid, these will remain with you forever. Take your time to understand what matters the most to you.

So, right now, I want you to take a deep breath with me. You are not falling behind, and it’s okay to have to restart from scratch. Each time you do, as long as you keep authentic to yourself, you’ll get closer to the true version of your life that is destined for you.

In truth, holding on to your true self is a lot easier said than done.

Over the past four years, you have made tremendous strides in being more comfortable in just being Rachel. Growing up, being a chameleon was our primary goal. We prioritized being liked by everyone and fitting in everywhere, and ironically, it led us to nothing. Choosing dietetics as a degree path was our first step in breaking away from the expectations and assumptions about who we are. While everyone expected us to become a medical doctor or computer scientist, we chose a path that made us happy and that we found fulfilling.

With that choice came the opportunities and achievements that were evading us before, like signs signaling we were on the right path. Job offers, internships, scholarships, and friendships all began to settle into place. With each one, you found having confidence in expressing who you are to come more naturally, in small ways like how you dress and speak, and in big ways like how you handle conflict.

To make room for the new in your life, you had to let go of some of the old. This will be easy at the beginning of college, as the transition to a new city forces you to leave behind parts of your life. However, as you continue your degree, you’ll realize that you may have to let go of opportunities and relationships you made here, too–some sooner than you think. Other times, you’ll be rejected before you even have the chance to begin.

With each success and failure, despite gaining confidence in yourself, a new anxiety will settle in—the fear of losing it all.

You’ll have the urge to return to your old habits, to mold to what you believe others want to see from you.

• “I am too loud for this group–time to be quiet again.”
• “I made a mistake; I have to work ten times as hard to prove myself next time.”
• “I still don’t feel fully a part of this group. What else can I change to make myself fit in?”

The more you succeed and the more responsibilities you accumulate, the more afraid you will become of letting everyone down. In these moments, I want you to remember that you got to where you are because you were yourself. You are exactly where you need to be, despite what others expected from you at first glance or what you think they expect from you.

I want this letter to serve as a reminder to us that being authentic to ourselves is the most beneficial thing you can do in the next four years.

If something does not feel right, it’s okay to stop putting your energy into it and walk away. If something feels right, do not be afraid to jump in headfirst and embrace the mistakes you make along the way. It may feel like, within an academic setting, intellect is more valuable than intuition. You will sit for hours mapping out all the outcomes within your head when we could use that time to experience our life. Some of the best memories we will make will stem from when we follow our heart, and not our mind.

To those reading this letter to myself, “just be you” may seem like a cop out piece of advice. We’ve all heard it many times, and even I struggle to fully accept this guidance to this day. I hope hearing it from an average peer, who has, still is, and will be figuring out how to accept and love who she is, is better than hearing it from an adult or celebrity who looks like they have their life together already.

I chose to focus on this, rather than giving you a study hack, because the moments where I lost who I was, the worse my mental health suffered, and the worse I performed in my classes. College is the prime time to set yourself up for professional success through academics, but it is equally as important to take time to explore who you are as a person. Prioritize both, and I promise you your college years will be one of the best times of your life, with many more to come.

Every little thing is going to be alright,

Rachel

Letters to Myself is a sub-series of our innovative UF/FSHN Careers Advancement Project (CAP), which captures what it’s really like to earn degrees in food science, nutritional sciences, and dietetics.

[Reference: Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Introspection. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/introspection]

Interested in learning more about studies and careers in Food Science and Human Nutrition? Check out our UF/FSHN CAP series:

(1) What Can I Do with My Degree?

(2) Day in the Life

(3) Letters to Myself: Words of Advice and Encouragement

Learn more about FSHN’s renowned programs below!

Undergraduate Programs:
Dietetics
Food Science
Nutritional Sciences

Graduate Programs:
M.S. Dietetic Internship Program
M.S. Food Science and Human Nutrition
Ph.D. Food Science
Ph.D. Nutritional Sciences

3