Dear lazy college student, how are you? It's been a while since we've hung out. I've had a good summer without you. I made it to work on time, hung out with friends and got ready for the school year all without you hanging over my shoulder. School starts next week, and I'm probably much more excited than you are. I know summer is your favorite time of the year. A whole two months of sitting around and eating as many bowls of ice cream as you can possibly shove in your face. A whole 12 weeks of Netflix binging and tearful "Game Of Thrones" re-watches on your couch. To be honest, I enjoyed it too. But now it's time to work.

So dear lazy college student, please go to class. I know some days the drive or walk just doesn't seem worth it. You stare at your ceiling fan in the morning and wonder why you even need to go to college in the first place. I mean you can always just become a YouTuber or work at that bookstore forever, right? Wrong. You need that education to give yourself the best chance at doing what you love. Sure, it may be tempting to just take all your savings, buy a tiny mobile solar house and drive away from all your problems, but that life is nowhere near as meaningful if you gave up all your dreams to live it. So, lazy college student, get out of bed and go. It doesn't take much, just throw on your favorite leggings and a T-shirt. Stop by that coffee place you like. Meet up with friends and complain about homework. Make school fun, because you really do like it once you manage to get out of bed in the morning.

My dear lazy college student, please make time for your mental and physical health. You don't have to run two miles every day, but at least do some jumping jacks before bed and skip that midnight bowl of cookies and cream. Go to the recreation building with a friend and find a way to make exercise fun. Have something for breakfast even if it's just a pop tart, and be sure to drink lots of water, you're never hydrated enough. Please, please, please make time for your friends. Yes, you have them, and you tend to neglect them when school rolls around. Even if it's just a few hours doing homework together, spend time with them. Don't take it for granted that you have good friends who make you genuinely happy. Spend all the time you can with them and actively try to make more friends. You've always been bad at making friends, but you're going to change that this year. Don't give up a night out because you just really want to be at home on the couch, but don't put anyone ahead of your academic goals.

That brings us to my next point; please study. Lazy college student, please do your homework. It's always so tempting to just leave it for tomorrow, but do it tonight. It may not feel great now, but you will feel on top of the world going to class tomorrow with no worries about when you can get that assignment done. Start your essays early, and read the material the professor has given you. Try to remember that you really do like learning, even though college doesn't feel like much learning sometimes. Make it fun by using those cool sticky notes you saw in Target the other day, and try to study at least one subject per night.

Exercise your mind and try to push your boundaries, but don't work yourself to the point of absolute exhaustion each night. At the end of the day, one missed homework assignment isn't going to flunk you out, but five or six will. So, since you and I both know that you probably won't pull a 4.0 this semester, let's aim for something achievable and still work our butts off to get there.

Dear lazy college student, please tell your mother where you are. Call her and let her know when you leave places and arrive places. Your family just wants to know that you're safe. You were amazingly blessed with a family that cares deeply about you, but also is willing to let you be independent during college. Don't take that independence for granted; we need to start unlearning that habit of never texting anyone when you make it home safely. Also, make time for your family. Go to dinner on Sundays with them, tell them about your week. Go home and see your dog every now and then. You don't know where you'll be in four years, so don't let this time slip by without carving out parts of it for family time.

So, dear lazy college student, try not to be so lazy. Go to class, take notes, study those notes and aim for at least a few hours of sleep each night. Make time for physical health, even if it's just passing up the second dessert and drinking more water. Keep your mind in a good place by hanging out with friends, and actively trying to make new ones. Take time to yourself every now and then too; I know you need that. Call your family, let them know that you care too and that you've made it home safely. These are going to be some of the best years of your life, lazy college student, don't take them for granted. Because it won't be long until you can't call yourself a lazy college student, anymore.