Dear College Freshman,

Congratulations, you are beating the odds and attending college, give yourself a pat on the back and be extremely proud of yourself, for this itself is an extraordinary accomplishment. Right now there are probably a thousand thoughts going through your head, and they are probably not even close to the necessary thoughts you should actually be thinking. You are probably thinking about your outfit for the first day, trying to figure out if it will be too much, or just right. You are probably crushing on one of the other freshmen, or trying to figure out where the best parties take place. You are probably worried about being on time for your first day of classes, and trying your hardest to make your dorm room look exceptionally cute. It is all normal to be stressed about these kind of things as a freshman, so it is understandable, however making choices about which shoes to wear today is honestly going to be the least of your worries for the next 4 years.

Go to class. I cannot stress this enough. Getting into the habit of missing class is a major downfall for such a large percentage of college students, it is bad enough that you are already going to procrastinate, I promise you are, believe me you are, but going to class on time and every day can make all the difference. Get to know your professors and administration, especially if you are attending a small school, them having your back is such a huge deal. Knowing people is always a great pro, and so is being involved, so do it. Join a sorority or fraternity, interview to be on SGA, participate in activities provided by the school…it is all worth it, and plus you will make a lot of friends in the process.

Whatever you do, do not stress yourself out over relationships, especially not with freshman boys. Girls, I know you will do it anyway, heck I even did, but freshman boys are not all the way here, they want to college not adult and you should just focus on midterms and maybe go for a run, don’t chase anything freshman year but the shuttle to class, or maybe an alcoholic beverage or two. That is another thing, I am not telling you to go crazy, but allow yourself some fun; taking college seriously is obviously something not taken lightly, however do not let it drive you insane, go out with your new friends, dance, eat some doughnuts…college does not have to be completely draining and boring.

Do not lose yourself. College is going to be some of the best worst years of your life, and staying on track to finish it out is one of the best pieces of advice I will give anyone. Dropping out of college is like pushing a brand new car you just bought off a bridge, or setting your new house on fire; don’t be silly. If anything find yourself, you are going to be faced with so many challenging questions, the biggest one of them all being “What do you want to do with the rest of your life?” and while that may be so easy to answer, once life takes off, it will throw you for a serious loop. Be ready for challenges, adventures, downfalls, long days, and even longer nights.

Do not try to get it all together your junior year, use freshman year as an advantage, figure things out…it is going to make for such a smoother ride in the long run I promise you that. Get to know your advisor, and trust them with your life; they are there to guide you and ultimately, they know what’s best. Make the most of every situation, and try your hardest to live up to your own expectations instead of dumbing it down when times get tough. Sometimes choosing your major can be the most difficult decision, and for some people it is the easiest, it all depends on how you are coming in. I told myself I would never be that person who changes their major, that I would come in with a plan and stick to it, and life tested me; I changed my major 4 times before I finally settled on what was best for me. It happens sometimes, but trust yourself and do not give up…it is worth it I promise you.

Make memories, there are honestly never enough to be made. Stay up an extra hour with your new friends, try as many new things as possible, get to know your new town. Dance around your room, be spontaneous, do not let the smallest things get you down either because they are not even worth it. Your best friends in the entire world could be right across the hall from you and you don't even know it yet!

Have fun, and I mean the time of your life, this is going to be one of your craziest journeys, but it is all going to bring such a fabulous outcome. You are going to mess up, you are probably going to cry more than once, you may hate your roommate, or your professor. You might feel like giving up is the best option but I promise you it never ever is; you made it to college, don't stop while you’re hot. Live in the moment but do not stop preparing for the rest of your life, be you and do not lose sight of your goals! Congrats again, you deserve it.

Xoxo, Casey