The Grad-School Exam Year: Write to the You Who Made It Through
Preparing for the graduate entrance exam is a different kind of hard. In high school, the whole class suffered together; this time it's usually just you — claiming the same library seat at dawn, reciting until closing time, wondering at midnight whether any of it is worth it. From summer through December, exam takers come here to write: to the self who'll see the scores in February, to the self walking out of the final interview, or — for those on their second or third attempt — to a self they simply hope is doing okay, whatever happened. One line shows up in these letters again and again: "I don't know if I'll make it, but I want future-me to remember that I really tried." If you're deep in prep right now, or just walked out of the exam hall, write this moment down. The letters below come from people who walked the same road and chose to share. Read a few, then write yours — the you who already knows the result will be grateful to the you who didn't quit.
How to write this letter
- Record where you are right now: which chapter you're on, how many practice sets you've done, what time you got up today. Those numbers become the most solid keepsake.
- Say something to the you who didn't pass, too. What should that person do next? A backup plan written in advance is the kindest safety net.
- Write down why you chose this school and this field. Whether or not you end up there, that reason deserves to be remembered.
- Schedule delivery for results day or the first day of grad school — one more reason to see this through.
Real letters from the vault
421 public letters写给未来的…付振铭
你好啊 又见面了 我现在在1.21号早上6.33 刚刚通宵完 复习托福 真是 学了快两年了 还没考过 1.24的托福我猜应该考得过了吧 哈哈哈 其实学习太不认真了 熬夜学习 还是晚了两把lol 你现在过得怎么样 按照时间应该是马上就要出国了吧dch现在还在生我气没 有机会我跟他冲
IRDEBRIS
2016.01.21
致八月的自己
Dear.kyleHow is going with you?Already tuo mouths later.Have you changeed?They say ask the right qustions and you will get the best answears
张kyle
2020.06.07
给自己加油！
恩！ 这么熟悉的自己，我说不出一句骚话，哈哈是的我现在很想知道你专升本上岸了没有相信自己吧，现在在这个疫情特殊时期，今天是二月二龙抬头，你已经很多天没有学习了，原本想着去学校再学，结果学校也会不去了，从明天开始好好学习，我也很想知道21年还有没有15%名额，加油，本科是你想去的地
心里住了朵云
2020.02.24
董大娟
写这封信的时候你正在图书馆，刚刚玩了半个多小时的手机，嗯。在追剧，ode to joy，还记得高二5.4写的纸条吗？本一。。。。可惜是本三，已经成为事实，你也无法改变，所以 就这样吧。只是希望你能为自己的未来做个打算，嗯，那时候已经选好口笔译了吧，我还没想好诶，希望你选择的时候可
董一二
2016.05.07
4-17日常记录
不记得第几次在时光邮局写信了，心血来潮想要说点什么。这次的送达时间实在一周之后，那个时候的你应该已经开始拔牙或者什么的，开启整牙的第一步。啊，想想真的很美好啊，整完牙之后你将会变得更好看吧，至少会更加自信。今天的你很晚才起床，起来之后看了一部电影，睡觉，写作业，日常，很平淡的一天
黎清
2016.04.17
现在的你我不知道是怎样的一种的心情
现在的你 我不知道是怎样的心情 不过无非就两种 我知道这两种都不好受 你不是真正的开心 但是没关系 我知道你是最棒的 我知道你永远都是会放弃的人 我知道你比我想象中的坚强得多 我知道你有自己远大的理想和抱负 所以我知道无论你怎样跌倒 我都知道你会爬起来
束璞
2013.04.26
给一个月之后的你
之所以今天给你写信是因为又发现近来你偷懒了。今天你又重新清理了所有的东西，无论是寝室还是电脑里的东西，甚至都换了用了好久好久的桌面。一个月之后的你，是否一个人在寝室。有没有还是不敢一个人睡觉，买了回昆明的车票没，驾照一定拿到手了吧，每一步是不是有条不紊的按目标走着。公务员的书
我不是你的卓别林
2014.06.27
随笔
丽丽，展信安。 昨天完成了中级会计的报名，最后一科财务管理，等5月份新教材出来我就开始备考了，所以我决定先学习注会的会计和财务管理，努努力，争取能过两科，不管要用多久时间，做总比不做强吧，看这封信的你是不是正在感叹，终于知道开始努力了，要不现在我的压
小雅
2020.03.12
写给一年后的自己
一年后的YYY： 展信佳！一年后的你此时此刻在工作还是准备进入新学校？一年后的你有没有去天津找小闺蜜，有没有更加自信？我希望在这一年里你能通过自己的努力获取成功，明年可以说是我至关重要的一年，没有上岸，那么我就会步入职场，开启艰辛的“社会人”生活，一想到会步入这样的生
耶歪歪呀
2021.08.29
李嘉宾你还好吗
李嘉宾，你还好吗？我是吴昱萤，这封信是我在18年11月7日写给你的。不知道现在咱俩还在一起吗，但我想应该是的，万一，不幸的，你我分手了，恰好你又有了新的女朋友，我先说对不起打扰你了。今天是你的生日，先祝你生日快乐，希望你天天开心。现在的临汾很冷，我刚洗完澡，脚脚凉，你在我旁边，我
n3612
2018.11.07
放假了吧？你必须这么做！
7:30起床 先喝一杯水8:00吃早餐8:30——9:15背诵毛概9:30——10:00复习力学（从不会的地方看起）10:00——10:30复习结构10:30——11:00复习房建（以上三个可打乱顺序）11:00吃一个苹果午饭过后背诵英语 2:00——3:00睡午觉3:30运动
Woods杨
2013.07.08
去他妈的学习吧
现在你特么又崩溃了。学霸小姐。 昏倒你妹啊。心脏病你妹啊。老子又没看韩剧。为啥这些去死的YY都要在我身上发生啊。去你妈勒戈壁！老子的学习状态啊.... 哦，我不是故意这么rude的。真的不是。你要体谅我。 英语啊第二。算个屁啊。老子背了这么多单词为什么不是第一啊啊啊。
free
2013.10.04
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I write it, and when should it arrive?
Most people write mid-prep or right after the written exam, and schedule delivery for results day (late February) or the start of grad school (September). Even in the busiest stretch, a letter only takes fifteen minutes.
What if I don't pass — won't the letter hurt to read?
Repeat test-takers often say the opposite: seeing how hard past-you fought brings closure, not pain. You can also write a few lines specifically for the you who didn't make it — comfort only present-you can give.
Isn't writing a letter a distraction from studying?
Treat it as a check-in with yourself: put your goal, your progress, and your fears on paper, and most people come away steadier. Delivery within a year is completely free.
The Grad-School Exam Year: Write to the You Who Made It Through
Write yours