I know you’re crying over college stress and I know that every day without that acceptance letter will make your life harder. Trust me.

I waited from September 1st, all the way until April 7th to hear back from the only school that I cared about.

There were a lot of tears during that eight month span. A lot.

I understand your stress and tears, and not to sound too cliche, but things will get better.

Now that I think of it, instead of spending so much time crying and stressing, I could have been enjoying my last few months living at home. It sounds dramatic, but it’s the truth. You’re going to have months where you don’t go home once and you’re going to have months where you feel like you spent too much time at home. Enjoy your comfortable bed, you won’t get one in college. Enjoy showering without being forced to wear shoes, communal showers are nasty. Enjoy your pets and parents, because they’re not going to college with you.

Most importantly, enjoy your best friends while you can still spend everyday with them. It sucks to be in a different state than every single one of your best friends. The hardest part about going home on any given weekend is that your best friend isn’t a short drive away. She’s still in another state. The car that drove by you that you honked at because you thought it was her, not her. She’s still in another state. Your daily lunch dates and weekly mall trips aren’t happening anymore in college. Enjoy them now.

Also, enjoy your boyfriend. I can rewrite this paragraph so many times and still not find the right words to describe being away from your him, but this is the best that I can do. You’re going to get to a point where you don’t see him for a while and the thought of just giving him a hug could make you break down in tears. Even walking by a guy who wears the same cologne as him could really upset you in a way that you didn’t even know was possible. Skype or FaceTime WILL become your best friend. You’ll get to a point where the thought of seeing him for 5 minutes would be enough, just so that you don’t have to go a full month without him. You’ll get in stupid fights, but you’ll get over it. You’ll be fine. The first month will say a lot about your relationship and how long it will last. The most important thing about long distance relationships is communication, and I can’t stress it enough. But, when you love someone, being away is hard, but if you love them enough, then you can get through it.

Finally, leaving mom and dad isn’t easy. Without your parents, you won’t get home cooked food. It doesn’t seem like a big deal but to a girl whose mom made dinner every night, it sucks. Sure, they’re only a phone call away, but sometimes you just want to be able to see them. Face it, they’re your parents, I know they’re not easy to deal with during senior year because you’re just on the cusp of freedom. But you’re going to miss them. Adulting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Adjustment isn’t easy, and the people that make it look easy are lying. We all have days where we cry because dining hall food is nothing compared to your mom’s home cooked food or how no one can cheer you up like your dad. It takes a lot, especially when you’re trying to balance loads of homework, a somewhat-normal sleep schedule, friendships, and time for yourself.

Enjoy being in your childhood hometown because you can walk around on campus for a full day and not see one familiar face.

And it may sound like I really don’t enjoy college, but I wouldn’t change anything. I love being at Temple University. I’m exploring my personal and academic strengths and weaknesses. I’m learning how to adjust to city life. I’m trying new things. And, to make life better, I have the most amazing group of friends who make my stressful days worth it.

I miss home, I really do. It’s such a great feeling to be home for a few days and get away from school, but I always find myself missing my little dorm room, my daily schedule, and all of my new friends.

You’ll always have a special place in your heart for your hometown, but your new life awaits and is coming up quicker than you’d expect.

College is fun and exciting. Keep an open mind and you'll be nothing but surprised at how much fun it really is.

The bottom line is, enjoy what you have while you still have it. Wherever you end up, whether it’s your top school or not, you will be happy. High school flies by in a heartbeat, and if you’re too busy waiting to get out, you might just miss it.