Dear Little Sister,

I guess you're not so little anymore, in fact you've grown into a beautiful young woman and I am beyond proud of all you've accomplished. You are about to graduate high school and begin college at your first pick of universities, which you were accepted to with flying colors. You are about to embark on what will be the best and most intimidating year of your life. You will be away from home for the first time in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people but I have no doubt in my mind that you will succeed. Before you move out and we are in entirely separate places there are a few things that I learned my freshman year that I would like to share with you.

1. Get out of your comfort zone. It can be difficult at times to try new things, especially when everything is already so new. But in these new experiences you will make the best memories and meet the most interesting people. I made some of my closest friends by stepping outside of my shell. Do not be scared to try new things.

2. Missing class is not the end of the world. Obviously, if you never go to class than you will not be successful in college so do not make a habit of missing class. Every now and then though, it's OK to sleep late or skip class to do something fun. You just have to be smart about it; if you're failing Chemistry that's probably not the best class to be skipping. Be smart about your class delinquencies, just don't feel like you can never ever miss a class, this isn't high school. Mom and Dad are not going to like this piece of advice but, it's true.

3. STUDY YOUR ASS OFF. See Mom and Dad, here's a good piece of advice. College classes are nothing like high school. They require a lot more out-of-class work and you have to spend at least one hour per class per day studying the material in order to retain it. Don't learn your lesson the hard way like I did and throw your GPA in the toilet first semester. It's extremely hard to pull up a low GPA and I want you to spend your time having fun instead of having to work really hard to recover your grades. So, be smart and study hard.

4. Save your money. College is expensive and as a freshman you will find that twenty dollars comes and goes in a blink of an eye. Use your meal plan as much as possible and budget your money so you can go out to eat or to the movies because that's way more fun than sitting in your room while all your friends go get pizza because you have no money. Trust me...I've been there and it sucks so, be smart about your spending.

5. Explore your campus. Some of the greatest memories I made freshman year were the nights when my friends and I had nothing to do so we just walked around campus going into buildings we'd never been in before and seeing parts of campus we'd never seen. Plus, getting a good feel for where things are on campus can never be a bad thing.

6. Party smart. This is college and there are parties and I am not naive enough to think that you will not be attending some of these parties. The advice that I can offer you is to go with a group of friends and stick with them. College is a crazy place and the people are even crazier so stay with your girls and remember all the things our parents have always taught us about partying. Also, there's no need to be partying all the time, sometimes a girl's night in is just what you need at the end of the week and they're always tons of fun.

7. Remember who you are. You will meet lots of people in college who will try to change you. They will try to change your beliefs and your morals simply because they don't agree with them but, you have your beliefs for a reason and you need to stand by them. You're an amazing young woman so don't forget where you come from and don't abandon who you are, EVER.

8. Keep an open mind. With that being said, you can keep your beliefs and morals and still be willing to learn from people who differ from you. Exploring different ideals and beliefs can be an incredible learning experience and a fantastic way to make new friends. You don't have to agree with other people, but taking the time to understand their thoughts will help you grow as a person which is worth the patience it sometimes take to listen to those with opinions other than your own.

9. Be patient. No one was a perfect college student overnight. College is a big adjustment and at times you are under so much stress that you could literally pull your hair out. Persevering is well worth it because college is also the best time of your life. Find the balance in working hard and playing hard and I have no doubt you'll be a star college kid in no time.

10. Call your family. I know this sounds silly but in all the hustle and bustle of everyday college life I sometimes forget to call Mom and Dad for a week at a time. Believe it or not a chat on the phone with the parents can be utterly therapeutic, especially on those days when it feels like nothing is going right and you know it makes them happy to hear your voice so it's really a win-win situation.

Well little sister, I sure am going to miss you next year and I can't believe you're are going off to school. I am so proud of all you've achieved and I am eager to see what this new milestone in life brings you. Good luck my sweet sister, kick ass.