Hi, hello, how are you? Has anyone told you that you’re doing amazing and that they’re proud of you? I hope so! ANYWHOO, my name is Brianna, you can call me Bri because we’re all friends here. I am a Junior (Senior? I don’t know. School is technically cancelled so I don’t know anymore lol.) at MSA.
Yes, I am copying Callie Matthew’s blog (Sorryyyy! It’s just a lovely idea). I wanted to leave a letter to future students as well!
To start off, I’d just like to say that I’m so proud of you for thinking about coming to our lovely school. While Mississippi School of The Arts is not for everyone, I do hope that it’s for you. It’s such a healthy environment for creativity and compassion. Okay, here’s my letter to you.
Dear Whoever You Decide To Be,
At MSA, you can be anybody you want. This is a fresh place with fresh people. You have a chance to completely start over and rebuild yourself. That’s exactly what I did, and I’ve never been this happy in my entire life. This school has amazing people who will love you and care for you deeply. I have experienced this first-hand. It’s okay to be terrified. Everyone was. It’s okay to be confused. This is going to be a confusing time. Everything is changing (For the better!) It’s okay to feel however you’re feeling coming into this world. And believe me, MSA is a completely different world.
I’m not going to lie, at first, you might feel an overwhelming sense of loneliness. And that’s perfectly normal and accepted. If you’re like me, and can’t find your future roommate anywhere on social media, you have no idea who you’re going to be living with. And it’s okay to switch roommates. Your happiness is priority #1, forever and always. But once you start to feel comfortable, you’ll make friends I promise. Remember: all you need is one person supporting you to change your life. And you will always have your seniors (us) to come to. We are all so very excited to meet you guys and to love you like family!
You may be wondering what to expect here. And I’m here to tell you a few things we like to do. For one, we always sing happy birthday at lunch if anyone has a birthday. (Yes, it is kind of embarrassing to be the person being sung to, but at least you know we all care!) Second, there will always be someone you can come to. ALWAYS. If you can’t find anyone, find me! Just text me or call me and I’m there for you. I’ll leave my social medias at the bottom of the blog so you can find me and talk to me! Third, there is a lot of work for every discipline. The academic classes will be challenging, but every teacher will help you when you need it. If you’re a literary, Mrs. Sibley will love you like her own kids, but she will remind you that she is not your friend (LOL love you Mrs. Sibley). She is by far the best teacher that I’ve ever had. She is the head of the literary department and she is the most caring and compassionate person you will meet. She will give you honest and helpful advice any time you need it. She will help you grow like the beautiful flower you are.
Finally, what do you even bring?? This was my biggest question coming into this school. I won’t go into specifics, because there’s a lot. You’ll need: cleaning supplies, bathroom necessities, clothes, laundry detergent, QUARTERS (for the washing and drying machines), bed sheets, pillows, blankets, entertainment (no TV’s though. I suggest books, music, etc.), snacks (I brought poptarts, chips, ramen noodles, etc.), drinks(!!!!), clothing hangers, some kind of caffeine, and plenty of shoes for every type of weather. There’s a few more, but I’ll let you decide what you want and need to bring. Personally, books, fuzzy socks, hoodies, cranberry juice, and coffee were my life savers. We have walmart runs every Tuesday and Thursday, so you can get whatever you need then. Every weekend that we don’t go home, administration finds some fun activities that you can sign up for. They’re not mandatory, but they are fun! MSA also has a gym and a lounge for you to hang out at.
A few rules that MSA has that you NEED to know. On weeknights, you HAVE to be on your floor at 10PM and in your room by 10:30PM. On weekends, you have to be on your floor by 12AM and in your room by 12:30AM. PDA (public display of affection) is kind of tricky at MSA. A few things that ARE allowed are: brief kisses on the cheek and brief hugs. A few things that ARE NOT allowed: kissing on the mouth (Gross! Cooties!), canoodling (whatever that means lol I saw it on a TV show), cuddling, etc.
I asked a few friends what they wished someone had told them about MSA before coming. So, here’s a few things I’m going to tell you that I wished someone had told me.
- Sometimes, it’s more work than fun. But it’s very worth it.
- Academic classes are very important here.
- You might have to sacrifice a few things. (not, like, ritually. LOL)
- It is going to a feel a little overbearing sometimes, but it’s for the best.
- MSA is just like a college, but with high school classes.
- You will barely have any alone time unless you ask to be alone, your roommate is not in the room, or you lock yourself in the bathroom lol. You’re constantly around people, and it will get a little overwhelming if you’re not used to it. (I was not used to being around people all the time, so I struggled with this the most)
- Be careful with what you say. You never know who will hear you.
- You’re going to lack routine for a little while.
- Hang out with you friends as much as possible. They’re going to miss you just as much as you miss them.
- You are not required to keep up with anyone but yourself. Don’t let anyone ever make you feel guilty for not checking on them. You’re starting an almost completely different life.
- DO NOT spend all your money at Dirt Cheap! It’s going to be hard, but you can do it.
- It is going to be strenuous. You’re going to be tired. But you’re going to improve so much in your art.
- You do not have to be perfect all the time. Nobody is, and nobody ever will be. You can make mistakes! You can make as many as you want as many times as you need to until you learn.
- You will learn things about yourself you never thought you would.
- I PROMISE your seniors will understand your struggles. We were there too. Some of us might still be there. We will understand and we will help you in any way we can.
- It’s okay to be shy and introverted here. It’s okay to be outgoing and extroverted here.
- It’s okay to not want to attend MSA. It’s not for everyone.
- I, Brianna Cox, will be your friend. If you’re not comfortable talking to anyone else, I am right here. I will listen until you don’t feel like talking anymore.
- Nobody here will judge you. Be who you want to be without remorse.
Thank you for reading this. We love you already. We’re just as excited to meet you as you are to meet us!
Social medias you can find me on: Instagram- briannalaynecox, Snapchat- brianna_layne54, Facebook- Brianna Cox, and if you want my phone number, just text me on one of those and tell me! I’m here to help in any way I can.
Remember: You are beautiful, you are worthy, you are loved, and you are accepted.
Peace out, girl scout 🙂
Okay, Bri, dang. My blog pales in comparison to this masterpiece. I am not joking at all. This is so sweet and warm and welcoming, and if I read this as an incoming junior, I would feel so excited (and less anxious). I like how you formatted it in a letter, as it conveyed a certain comfort. And you mentioned so many helpful tips. I totally looked over floor times and whatnot. But, thank you, because this made me laugh. I only went to Dirt Cheap in Brookhaven twice, but I walked away blazers, flannels, flare pants, and T-shirts galore (what you said about Dirt Cheap made me laugh out loud). Your facts are so right-on, and it was brilliant to ask others for a few things to mention. All in all, I loved reading this. It is helpful, and I feel like I have just been hugged. needed this
Love this! I like the trend of preparing the incoming juniors for MSA. Again, I wish I would have known this information before coming to MSA!! Very helpful!