Dear Freshmen,

Let me start out by saying that, in my eyes, you are the luckiest humans on this planet right now. You are just starting out your college career and you get four more years to learn, experience and live it up while I'm sitting here, planning my Junior year classes and applying for internships for my last summer as a college student. You might be scared or nervous about leaving home but don't forget how lucky you are that you're about to begin the best four years of your life while I begin planning for the end of mine.

I would love to sit here and tell you that college is easy. That the major you come into college with will last you all four years or that your random roommate will be holding the train of your wedding gown as your maid of honor. Those things might happen, but it's not guaranteed; and that's okay! There is no right or wrong way to "college;" no one is going to stop you on your way across the stage at graduation and quiz you on whether or not your college experience was deserving of a diploma. So, my first piece of advice would be to not compare your experience with anyone else's. Whether this be your parents, your siblings or your own roommate: just don't, you're your own person and you have the power to make college what you want it to be.

That said, take chances! These are the last four years before you have to start doing things because you have to and not only because you want to. After college, when are you honestly going to find time while working a full time job to take a swing dancing class? Or join a knitting club? It's going to be hard. So take advantage of everything while you can! I don't want to say that you should never say "no" in college. There are many things that you should say no to in college; such as that mysterious cup of jungle juice that suddenly appeared in your hand or that friend who always suggests juice cleanses (absolutely not). But some things are worth saying "yes" to and you'll never know how these will impact your life until you try.

Don't be afraid to be homesick. No one is going to laugh at you for missing your family or your friends or even your high school classes. If you need to set up weekly Skype dates with your group of friends back home, that's okay! You can keep your old friends while still meeting new people. Also, call your fam once in a while. It doesn't matter if you the first, last, middle, only child to go to college, they're going to be worried sick about you and missing you like crazy. So keep your mom sane and assure her that you're alive now and then.

Don't be afraid when the upperclassmen hate you. Because they will. The term "freshman" is pretty much a dirty word to any college student that is not a freshman. We will act annoyed at your ignorance when you don't know how to get from a dining center to the library or when you butcher the pronunciation of the buildings on campus. We will roll our eyes when we see you wearing your lanyard around your neck or carrying every single one of your textbooks to class. We'll feel superior because we know where we're going, how to get there and what we're doing once we're there. But we'll also feel a little pang of jealousy deep (deep) down. You remind us that we're getting old and that we need to figure our lives out. You make us think of how we're going to have to leave this campus and pretty much become a freshman in the big-kid world. So, yeah we're going to hate you a little bit.

My final piece of advice is to just remember everything. You're going to make so many memories and experience so many things this first year, it will become hard to remember them all. Take pictures, write things down, whatever you have to do. Just make the best out of everything and don't wish your college years away.

Love,

A Very Jealous Junior