College really is a love/hate relationship. On one hand, the freedom you get is exhilarating. For the first time in your life, you do not have multiple sets of eyes watching your every move. You are able to completely choose when you go to class each day. It is even up to you whether or not you show up for those classes. You can take as many naps as your heart desires and eat pizza at 3 a.m. For those of us coming from stricter high schools, you are no longer told what to wear or how to wear it. The possibilities for the future are endless and the world is your oyster.
With freedom, however, comes a price. With all the fun things there are to do, it is easy to forget that school is also very important. After all, you would not be here if it were not to get an education and a college degree. While staying out late before an important exam may seem fun, you will most likely pay for it with a bad grade. You also have to worry about feeding yourself and taking yourself to the doctor when you are sick. There are times that you consider dropping out and becoming a stripper (not that there is anything wrong with that). There are times you will have a complete meltdown because of all the stress and think that you might be dying. But, you know your friends are right there with you going through the exact same ups and downs.
At the end of the day, the friends that you meet at college will be ones you treasure forever. These will be the people you have fun with on those late weekend nights. They are the ones that you will cram and procrastinate with before final exams. They are the shoulders to cry on when you have a broken heart and ones that will make you laugh until you cry. They will be the ones standing beside you at your wedding. They are the ones you still talk to 50 years from now and laugh with about the good old days.
While these years can be challenging, they are without a doubt the best years of your life. You will learn so much along the way both in and outside of the classroom. You learn so much about yourself and about life in general. You learn how to work hard but also how to play hard at the same time. Make the most out of the oh-so-short four (or five for some) years of your life that you spend at college. All of the experiences you have, both the good and the bad, are the ones that will turn you into the unique person you were always meant to be. The memories you make during college are ones you will remember forever. Make them the best memories they can be.
