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教资面试前
教资面试怎么样？此刻的我是怀着紧张但是笃定的心态写下这封信的。不知道我是否成功的通过了这场准备一年之久的考试，下一个难关就是教招了吧，有点高兴，我不怕路很难，我怕看不清未来的方向。尽管我一直对未来没有什么特定的规划，但是好像一切都走上了我曾经无意间写下的那条路，相信自己吧，这就是
13227143072
2025.11.19
英文写作能力提升、心理学专业能力提升
你在2018年12月21日晚上9点寄出这封信，那个时候你在为专家推荐信而烦恼。看到这封信，你应该已经考过GRE，英文写作笔记本写完2本，心理学专业知识提升，毕竟这是你在美国天天要看的东西，笔记本写完至少一本，拿到CBU的录取通知书。同时你的毕业论文应该已经写得差不多了，有机会找人
三分雨ZHANG
2018.12.21
寄给未来1年后自己的一封信
现在是2024年1月14日，还沉浸在上岸和放寒假的闲适之中，不知道未来3年的自己是怎么样的，希望不要虚度这3年研究生生活，把握好当下，还和上一个三年一样的嘱托，希望不要忘了我现在的目标，考公、考编、国企、文职，只是城市，我目前还不知道，还是挺期待的，我想也许一年后的自己很累，但是
n4927
2024.01.14
写给未来的…
hallo现在是2022.06.22凌晨00:50，我写下了这封信你应该已经专升本毕业了吧，加油努力的想未来迈进吧，为了更美好的明天，初入社会的你一定非常不适应，但是，生活哪有一帆风顺呢，现在的我在为了期末考为了专升本努力，那么你也要再工作上更加的努力，加油！（万年单身狗脱单了吗
n8033
2022.06.22
写给未来的…
怎么说呢 如果坚持下来就好好犒劳自己 没坚持下来就好好反思自己 毕竟花了钱 还是为了更好的学好英语 一百天 加油(ง •̀_•́)ง 就算为了考研为了以后
n2808
2018.04.25
keep on
I hope i can keep on reading.100days after,i can read and listen easily.Or i can write easily.
n3173
2018.04.26
写给未来的自己
亲爱的，经历了28学分的艰苦学习，也不知道你全满绩了没有，希望是吧。另外，还有四级考试，顺利吗？数学竞赛，顺利吗？A考了没？最起码把F1和F2过了吧？算了，就是想说，不管生活多忙，一定要坚持下去，就像你学英语一样坚持下去。生活啊，让我记住你给的痛的模样。好了，不说了，还有事要忙，
n2940
2018.04.25
写给未来的…
2018年9月2日10:58:59你好，你最近买了台电脑你最近没有健身，现在去了没有你很久没有看书，在准备考研没有你上次买的相机，给你带来了多大的便利？虽然不想问，但是你的年纪到了，你现在有对象吗？我把寄信时间改成了一个月之后，那个时候你就要选择你的报考学校了你准备好了没有？段宇
dy2015678
2018.09.02
你好
你好，这么长时间过去了，你现在应该是一名国家公职人员了吧。穿着哪个单位的制服，是不是很好看。是不是已经结婚了。而我现在还是一名即将毕业的大学生，昨天把杰哥送到车站，过几天我也要毕业了。等到毕业，就回去上课，今年国考就把税务局考上，希望在看到这封信的时候，一切都有了。休息了 再见
张一
2021.06.17
希望你已经上岸成功
今天收到了来自五年前自己的一封信，感慨万分，目前我在准备考公，考研，现在的生活我不太满足，我想要更好的生活，我现在身边如你所愿是最懂我的那个人，一直在我身边，现在的你呢，这次省考我要上岸，我认为我现在的选择是对的，心里有很多话，很多事情想和你说，可落笔不知道写什么，诸君顺利，
n6819
2026.03.09
给未来的自己
打完蓝桥杯和省赛了吧。怎么样？acm还坚持吗？我现在感觉还是退了吧，准备考研去吧。说实话你们的实力也就再拿个铜吧，用处也不大了。路也有很多，并不全是acm。acm的很多算法在工作中用处也不大了。这一路走来就当是提升自己的代码能力了呗。我只希望你能深思熟虑，考虑要不要退役一事。
n7580
2021.12.10
给未来的自己
打完蓝桥杯和省赛了吧。怎么样？acm还坚持吗？我现在感觉还是退了吧，准备考研去吧。说实话你们的实力也就再拿个铜吧，用处也不大了。路也有很多，并不全是acm。acm的很多算法在工作中用处也不大了。这一路走来就当是提升自己的代码能力了呗。我只希望你能深思熟虑，考虑要不要退役一事。
n7580
2021.12.10
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