A Letter to Past Claire

 Dear February Claire,

Welcome back to campus and to the start of a semester unlike any other (they all seem to do that, don't they?) I know you are excited for 2.008, and you should be. Although it will challenge you in more ways than you know, you will grow and learn and make priceless connections with peers, grad students, and lab instructors alike. You might even become emotionally attached to some plastic rings. 

I don't want to spoiler the saga for you or mess with the timeline by telling you anything critical, but I guess I'll give you some advice since I am the older and wiser one...

1. Get used to slack, it's kind of an established thing and you can't keep avoiding it. Also the reaccs are kind of lovable.

2. Get ready to have the How It's Made theme song stuck in your head, and remember to bring your safety glasses with flames on the side to lab- you'd feel lost without them.

3. Yes, the skills you are learning in GEL are very applicable to engineering teams.

4. It wouldn't kill you to increase your length of interference.

5. It also wouldn't kill you to subtract about 10 thou from that depth you are trying to drill that vent to.

6. You know those deliverables of the yo-yo body CAD and CAM that you are intimidated by and are bugging Jorge about? Well he will help you and you'll eventually end up being the one to help other people with them. Future you can do that in probably 20% of the time it is taking you now.

7. Go for a walk.

8. Keep your video on in class, it makes your friends smile.

9. As many times as you feel like you can't keep going, you will be inspired to stand up - pull your hair back, ask Dan if lab is open, and work towards an amazing design that you can hold in your hand and be proud of - many many more.

10. You are not alone.

So I hope I don't change any of the good things that do happen this semester by divulging this purposefully vague guidance. Just promise you won't look at this dangerous future content of less future you than present me which is a bit more future than we are in these:

Your Future Claire, my Recent Past Claire, developing her ambidextrous abilities working with the mold and really trying not to sacrifice rate too much for quality.

A similar Future Claire for you and Recent Past Claire for me really hitting those angles and trying not to think about the yo-yo's that keep rotating to not be in line with the others, but understanding that she will probably be thankful for this picture once she is 10 Years Into the Future Claire.

Disembodied Hand Holding Yo-Yo's Body with Care, 

Circa What Time is it Where am I Idk I am Sleep Deprived -colorized.

So I guess I should go on being the next Present Claire, she's still got some work to do. But before I go I need you to know: 

I know you love Course 2 and are happy to be excited to become an engineer. I need you to know that after this semester you won't be excited to become one, because you will be one. 2.008 will teach you lessons, most of them outside of lecture and many of them hard - but you will learn so much about yourself and finally feel like those seniors you watched present for 2.009 when you were a freshman. Yup. You did the dang thing.

Roll tech,

Present Claire who is your Future Claire but will soon be Recent Past Claire

P.S. Drink water you are probably dehydrated.