I remember counting down the sleepless, anxiety-filled nights leading up to the day I would be leaving for college. Every time my mom would come into my room and tell me goodnight I would choke up because I knew we wouldn’t get to continue the ritual that I took for granted all these years once I left. I was completely full of fear, but also excitement.

I kept trying to imagine what it would be like to actually be in college after 18 years, but could never picture exactly what it would be like. I had no idea what to expect. Will I make friends? Will my classes be too hard? Will I get homesick? Will it be as crazy as all the movies and TV shows make it seem? All of the work and progress I had put forth in my life had finally led up to this very moment. It was time to enter a completely new life on my own, and I was terrified.

Looking back on that time of my life, if I could go back, there are a multitude of things I would go back and tell myself. For starters, I would tell myself to stop being so terrified because I came to find out that I truly had nothing to worry about.

If I could go back to my pre-freshman year self, perhaps the most important thing I would tell myself is to take a second to breathe and slow down. I would tell myself to take on the fear of the unknown and completely embrace it head on. I would tell myself to stop worrying and that everything will work out the way it’s supposed to regardless of my attempts to control it all. I would tell myself to start living in the present, rather than maintaining a mindset that was constantly worried about the future.

I would also remind myself that everyone is in the same boat as I am. I would tell myself to put myself out there outside of my comfort zone and try as many new things as possible. I would tell myself not to be so scared of meeting new people. I would remind myself not to take me so seriously all the time by stressing about my schoolwork too much or about the relationships in my life that I felt like I needed to dedicate so much to the point where it took away from my relationship with myself.

I would tell myself all the little things too. A planner is very necessary in college in order to keep your life somewhat together. Get involved on campus because that’s how you’ll make friends. Make the time to call your parents. Maintain your friendships at home because those are important too. No matter how hard it is, be kind to your body. Eat as healthy as you can and make time for the gym. Don’t be afraid to talk to your professors and TAs because it could end up helping your grade at the end of the semester.

I came to find that your freshman year of college is special. It is not like the rest of your college years because it is the time you experience the most growth as an individual. Your freshman year is a blank slate. It is an opportunity to shape yourself in whatever way you wish to. The independence you gain allows you to learn so much about yourself in such a short amount of time. The friendships and the memories that are made are likely to last a lifetime, so you better make them count.