A letter from Feb 21st, 2022

Dear Future Me, By the time you are receiving this, you have seen your A Level results. These are the results after one long year of hard studying, and you now know whether it has paid off or not. The grade you have just received will make or break your chances of getting into university. But remember that going to university or not will not make or break your life. If you have succeeded, you'll be entering uni in a month or so -- remember to stay humble and never overestimate your abilities: having gotten a place on the course does not guarantee success. Only the effort you put in can ensure you of that. If you didn't get the grade you hoped for, you will if course be disappointed. You'll then proceed to mentally berate yourself for every minute of the past year which you didn't spend studying. This reaction is natural and in all probability justified. But don't wallow in self-reproach. This will accomplish nothing except to dig yourself into a hole. Instead of this, go out and do something for someone. You may have let people - including yourself - down by not getting those grades, but that doesn't mean you won't have more chances in other ways to prove yourself. Remember that your failures are as much a part of who you are as your successes, and that they will add strength and depth to your unique character. Finally, as you finish reading this letter, you should get up with a purpose in mind. Get up now and do something productive for the world. Don't waste this moment by wallowing in self reproach or basking in self satisfaction. "The world owes you nothing. You owe the world something. You owe it your time, energy and talent, so that it can be a better place for those around you. " So get up, stretch, take a deep breath, and soldier on. Ever yours, Your past (eighteen year old) self Feb. 2022