Dear freshmen,

First and foremost, you did it! You survived all cramped hallways, the cliques and all the times you thought your parents were controlling you way too much. As this new chapter opens you will soon realize that your parents were always right and you really do need to not procrastinate and should balance your school and social life. College truly is the best four years of your life, but there are a few things you must always keep in the back of your mind.

1. Always go to class.
This is hands-down the best advice anyone can give you. It may seem like a given that, but no one is here to hold your hand. All the training wheels are off once you step foot on campus. You have to want to go to class, your professors will do anything to help you, but only if you show them the same respect of attending their class

2. Do not procrastinate.
Waiting until the last minute to write your four-page paper on a topic you have no clue about is one of the top things that will add stress to your life. Continuing to do this on all your assignments for all your classes will just put you in the position of always playing catch up and never making sure you are ahead or on time with your syllabus. It's always helpful to work ahead if possible, that way you can work on other things, or even make time for that long-awaited sushi date or even some ice cream that you earned.

3. Get out of your comfort zone.
College is a time to start over in a sense. You should be confident in everything you do. This is a great opportunity to grow as a person and learn who you really are. Go explore the city and the campus. Go up and talk to people, don't wait for them to approach you.

4. Get involved.
You must always have an open mind in college. Whether it is from trying new foods, or joining the most organizations as possible, try it! Yes, you are there for your studies but you have to find time to get out of your dorm room or the library! If you just sit in your room, those four walls will become very small. Go to all the interest meetings there are, take all those flyers they give you in the quad. You can't count something out until you try it. Whether it’s you joining the Hide-and-Seek Club or even going Greek, there IS a spot for you on campus somewhere, you just have to find your home.

5. Do NOT wait to register for your classes.
Yes, registration for classes starts at 6 a.m., earlier than most of us college kids wake up, but you will thank your tired self later. There are only a limited amount of seats per class or only certain times for each class, so it's a race against the clock. If the class fills up you just have to wait for the next semester or hope someone drops. A few hours lost of sleep one night makes up for the stress that comes with having a bad schedule with awkward times or getting professors that don't fit your learning style.

6. Shorts and a T-shirt will be your best friend.
When you wake up late, only have time to brush your teeth, grab your bag and sprint halfway across campus to make it to your 8 a.m., or let's face it, even your noon classes, you will realize everyone else on campus is in the same boat. The way you dress is probably going to be the last thing on your list of to-do’s. By the third week in, you will want to cherish every second you can to catch up on sleep or the studying you put off so you could sleep. Throwing on the closest thing possible will soon become second nature.

The last bit of advice I can give you is simply this: it really is OK to not know what you want to do in college or even better yet with your life. You are meant to grow up in college and find out who you truly are. Don't stress over every little thing, and enjoy every little bit of it, because before you know it, it will be over.

Sincerely,
An Experienced Junior