Summer has finally reached its end, and honestly, it could not get here sooner. There may be one week left before college classes start back up, but that means only a few more days until I am back home. For many college students, home has become their campus, and our hometown is the home away from home. As great as it is to catch up on some much-needed sleep, to see family and old friends, there is no better feeling than knowing you will be back home soon.

But incoming freshmen have not yet had the college experience, so they have a mix of emotions. Nervous but excited, they do not know what amazing things will happen within these next four years. So here is some advice for the incoming class.

This last week of summer will be very hectic. Between saying goodbye to your family and friends, and making sure you have everything for your dorm, this will be the quickest week of your life. You are going to have so many butterflies, and you are going to worry about a lot of things that are out of your control.

But know this: going away for college is the best decision you will ever make.

You are going to make friends and find your home away from home. It may not happen in the first couple of weeks, but trust me, it will. More than likely you will get homesick, and there will be times that you absolutely want to transfer, but these will pass.

If you want to go and try out new things, do it. Join a bunch of different organizations if that is what you want to do. It never hurts to try something new because you will not know what you are missing out on unless you give it a chance.

If you want to go through recruitment to see if Greek life is for you, do not let the stereotypes stop you. The stereotypes are false. There is so much that goes into being in a sorority or fraternity, and it is not all about socials and parties. Greek life will help you grow into a mature young man or woman. It teaches you about responsibility, time management, and how to hold yourself and others accountable. But most importantly, it provides a sister- or brotherhood that not many will understand. Your brothers or sisters will be the ones to catch you when you fall, and to cheer you on.

College is nothing like high school. These next four years will help you find who you are. You are going to have a lot of ups and downs, but it is preparing you for adulthood. Professors will not constantly remind you of when a project or paper is due, so stay organized. It is a huge change from high school because you no longer have anyone keeping you accountable, so time management is key to being successful. The majority of your college friends will understand if you cannot hang out because of schoolwork, so do not worry about being called a nerd if you stay in to study. We are all in college to better our education, so there really is no concept of being a nerd anymore.

These next four years will be the best four years of your life. It will be a rollercoaster of a ride, but it is a ride you will not want to get off of. By the time you are a sophomore, you will understand why so many of us upperclassmen count down the days until our summers are over. You will meet so many interesting people, and experience a variety of things, so just enjoy every minute. It will quickly fly by, and you will be wondering where the time went, so live in the moment and get excited for the best years of your life!