Dear Freshman,

It's hard to believe that it's only been a year since I was in the same position you're in right now. I had a lot of mixed feelings about college, but with less than a month to go until move in day, I was pretty excited. I was finishing up buying everything I needed for my dorm and styling it just the way I wanted to. It was pretty cool to buy brand new things for a new room, and it was probably what I was most excited about.

The fact that I was buying all of these new things shielded my mind from the thoughts of what was really happening. Moving away from home. I didn't think about it too much, I was excited for this new adventure and ready to prepare myself for what was yet to come. However, it got a little depressing when I had to buy my books. Books are a lot more expensive than I originally thought they were, and definitely not as fun to buy as new decorations.

Buying the books definitely made it feel more like summer was coming to an end and school was starting. It's not a fun realization to have when there are only three short weeks of summer left. But, I still was feeling more excited than nervous at this point. It wasn't until I was about a week off that I started to get really nervous. Having my last day at the job I had for two years was probably the biggest turning point on the emotional spectrum for me.

I knew I would be back to work in a few months, but that fact made everything seem more final. It was weird to think that I wouldn't be able to work there for some time, because I wouldn't be in town. Which led me to really thinking about what moving away from home meant. It got scary fast. It was definitely something that was outside of my comfort zone and I had never been away from home for long before.

So, naturally I was nervous. Even though it was only a couple of hours away, it was still weird to think that I wouldn't be waking up in the same room or the same town that I've woken up in for basically my whole life. It was a big change that I suddenly wasn't sure I was ready for. Last summer was kind of an emotional rollercoaster for me, I didn't know what to feel up until move in day. I was so worried that I wouldn't meet anyone and that I would regret my decision of not staying local for college.

I was so worried about everything that could go wrong that I didn't have time to think about what could go right. What I'm trying to say is that I know this is a very confusing and overwhelming time of year. There are days when you might be completely confident about this new journey in your life, and other days in which you may really want to change your mind about this whole college thing.

But, when I was fully moved in and classes started, I felt good. Even though I didn't really know anyone yet, I was happy with where I was. I felt independent and loved having the free time in between classes and being outside so much instead of being stuck inside all day. Soon after, I met my first group of friends and everything just got better from there. I became more comfortable with the new environment and learned more about myself than ever before.

So, my message to you is that it's completely normal to be feeling a range of emotions, from good to bad. But, don't blind yourself with the bad emotions. Open your eyes and enjoy this new amazing opportunity you've been given. Take advantage of all that college has to offer. I know I've only gone through one year so far, but I feel that I've learned a lot. One of the most important things I've learned is that college is worth it.

You don't just learn things for your major, you learn things about yourself and things that are really beneficial for your future. College is what you make of it, so make it one of the best experiences you'll ever have.