Freshman,

It is hard to believe that I was in the same position as you, just a year ago. Of course I had a lot of mixed feelings but I was excited to move in. A month before move-in day can be the most stressful and exciting time of your college career; you finally finish buying everything you need, making your dorm decorations stylish, just to fit you. I thought it was pretty cool buying things for my brand new room, and let's be honest, I love interior design.

Unfortunately, buying all the brand-spanking new things really clouded my thoughts of what I was actually getting myself into: moving away from home, preparation for this new adventure, and buying books. Books were a more expensive than I thought, and they were not as fun to buy as my decorations.

Just as everyone else, I was naturally nervous about everything. Even the fact that I was only a few hours away from home, I couldn't comprehend the fact that I would not be falling asleep and waking up in my same room.

I was also so worried about meeting new people, and I thought I wouldn't make any new friends. Ultimately, I feared I would regret my decision of going to college.

All I could think about was what could go wrong. So, I know how you are feeling, and it can be a confusing, overwhelming, but exciting time of year. Some days, you may be overly confident, while other days you will want to change your mind about being in college.

Here's my message to you:

It is more than normal to feel a variety of emotions, ranging from good to bad, but don't let those emotions blind you. Enjoy this new opportunity that you have been given, and take advantage of what your college has to offer; it is all worth it.

You learn more things than just your major. You learn things about yourself, what is beneficial to your future because college is what you make of it and you have to make it the best.