Wake up. Check status. Eat breakfast. Check status. Go to class. Check status, check status, check status until … yes! Accepted! Pretty sure that’s how my morning went a few years back on the day that NC State’s admissions decisions were released.
Being in the 21st century, the online update came first but hey — as long as it said ‘accepted,’ who cares what the words appeared on? But there was nothing quite like getting that Big Red Envelope in the mailbox a few days later. We literally held our future in our hands as we tore it open. Brochures and letters, red and white, it was the complete NC State package and, even today, it still seems that way.
It seems silly to think about all those Wolfpack firsts now. Logging onto MyPack for the first time, which I’m more than sure took me a few sign-ins before getting the hang of it. Now I could probably do it with my eyes closed. Adding myself to the Wolfpack Students page and my class group on Facebook. Choosing a roommate and reading all the posts when housing assignments came out, trying to figure out who was on your floor before even stepping foot in the dorm. We were a family the moment we became part of the Wolfpack. Then, suddenly there’s thousands of students who not only were the same age as you, but the same level of excitement and the same North Carolina State dream.
Two years in and that dream hasn’t changed a bit. Sure, I complain about being homesick sometimes or have a meltdown when homework piles up but doesn’t everyone? Despite that, I can’t think of another place I’d rather be than NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27607. And I definitely can’t think of a better place in Chapel Hill or Durham.
I hoped it would when I saw it in the mailbox, but that Big Red Envelope did change my life. I’ve met friends who are just like me but from totally different places. I’ve learned from professors who teach better than I thought possible. I’ve also tripped on more bricks than I’d like to admit, but I’d keep all those embarrassing moments if it meant never changing the Wolfpack experience I’ve lived so far.
They fail to mention a few things in that envelope. Time goes fast, way too fast. As cliché as it sounds, I see all the #NCSU2020 tweets, and with a quick glace, I assume it’s a typo for the class of 2018 until I remember that my Big Red Envelope came a long time ago already.
It can be tough to not get caught up in coursework and internships and worrying about getting the job lined up at the end of your four years. Of course all those things are important, but don’t forget about today. There’s always another tomorrow, but you only get one today. Remember it the way you remember getting that Big Red Envelope — with joy, with hope, with that nervous-but-thrilled energy that gave you all the confidence in the world.
For any future Wolfpack pups out there, just throw out any other acceptance letters now because there’s not a better decision you could make than to pursue your studies and successes at State. From opportunities and innovations to connections and courses, NC State is one of the most well-rounded universities. After going on nearly 45 college tours throughout high school, I vividly remember my Big Red Envelope, and it turned out to hold a lot more than just those acceptance papers. It will hold the potential to make the next four years the best ones of your life. I promise you won’t regret it. I know I don’t. In fact, I don’t know anyone here who does.
