You made it through high school. You made it through the drama, college applications, dress code, and having to ask to use the bathroom. You have accepted your high school diploma and you are ready to take on college. Except the thought of leaving your family makes you feel sick to your stomach and you can not even imagine not driving down your driveway every morning. Let's get real for a second. This is completely normal.

Everyone makes it seem like you're supposed to be ready for college, but no one truly is.

Take it from the girl who has lived in the same city her whole life and then decides to move three hours away from where she knows no one. I was terrified. I did not feel prepared at all even though I had checked my to-do list millions of times. The thing is no one is prepared. No one is prepared to move into a building with a hundred other teenagers. No one is prepared to walk across campus to class instead of walking down the hallway. No one is prepared for having to budget your money and your time. No one is prepared.

It is okay if it takes a while to find your people.

Don't freak out if you feel like you don't have a close group of friends in the beginning. Especially coming from out of state, it was hard at first because I knew no one. For the first few weeks, the people that did know people just hung out with each other. The thing is, I chose my school for a reason. I felt comfortable and was confident that I would find my people. And sure enough, I did. You have to be patient. The thing about college is that you have more freedom in choosing your friends. It's not like high school where you are basically friends with the same group the whole time. In college, you can be friends with so many people and balance it out. I am not just friends with the girls in my sorority. I am also friends with the people in my classes, the people in my dorm, the church group that I go to, and just people I met in the dining hall. It may seem scary at first, but once you make that first connection then it will feel so natural.

Make healthy choices.

You can take this any way you want to. This is a reminder that you will be on your own, which is the best feeling; however, it can be easy to stray away from your goals. In college, I really wanted to eat healthy and workout, but sometimes things got in the way of that and I ended up feeling worse. Of course, it is okay to have fun and binge once in a while. but make sure you are making good choices that are worthwhile. This goes for friends too. Make sure you surround yourself with people who also make good choices. I feel like this is so obvious, but feeling pressured does not stop after high school. In college, you have the power of making yourself who you want to be. Do what makes you feel comfortable.

Study.

This is so important. I have always been a studious and organized person, but sometimes it is so hard to stay focused in college. There is always something happening on campus and off campus, and you want to be involved in it all. But, it is so important to work hard. College is harder than high school, and you can not slack off when you want to. Whether it is you or your parents paying for school, invest in it. You are there to learn. This is where you find what to make out of your dreams.

College is what you make out of it.

It is true what everyone tells you. College is better than high school. However, you decide how you want your experience to go. No one else does. You will rock it! I believe in you. Know that you got a support system ready to catch you if you fall, but also know that you will succeed in this new chapter of life.