Dear High School Seniors

Dear High School Seniors,

In the next few months a lot is about to change. College is right around the corner, which can be kind of a scary thought. Allow me to tell you all the things you should prepare yourself for.

First and foremost, it's time to start being comfortable with your body. When you have a roommate, it can be a little awkward to change your clothes in front of her especially within the first week of moving in. On my first day of living in a dorm, I thought it was the norm to head off to the bathroom every time I needed to get changed, which is not the case.

Secondly, you're going to hear and see things that you could live the rest of your life without hearing or seeing. I can recall banging on my wall one night in an effort to get the girl (and boy) next door to take it down a few notches. The walls are thin, and this will make you very uncomfortable sometimes. The same goes for dorm bathrooms. You will quickly realize that there is only a small fraction of people who flush the toilet after themselves. The shower stalls will be covered in clumps of hair, and you will see your fair share of vomit.

Eating alone stops being weird when you get to college, at least in my opinion. I can't lie... I've spent a decent amount of time in the dining halls by myself.

On the other hand, you should say goodbye to alone time. If you ever feel the need to have a mental breakdown, the only place to do it will be in the shower. You'll never take an uninterrupted nap. You'll be woken up in the middle of the night by kids screaming outside your window.

You'll learn how to live with someone else, or at least do the best you can. When you're used to having your own bedroom and an entire house to escape to, it's quite a shock to be placed into a shoebox-sized room with another person. You'll probably discover that you're not as chill or laid back as you thought you were. You'll get annoyed. You'll angry text your parents telling them how ready you are to move out. But it'll be okay, trust me. It's not the end of the world if your roommate turns on the light for five minutes while you're asleep. You're not going to die if she has a few shirts thrown around on the floor. You'll learn to live.

You will quickly find that college is a time for changing and learning how to be independent. You won't have your mom to tell you the exact amount of time needed to cook any food item, and you will have to learn to do your own laundry. But if you're like me, you'll throw all your clothes in one load, and it'll work out just fine. The best years of your life are coming!