I recently got the pleasure of hosting a number of high school seniors for an Honors College Interview Weekend my college was gracious enough to host, and through talking to these wonderful brilliant kids who are where I was just over a year ago, I found myself amazed at their bravery and conviction, while also in a mode of constant reassurance.

Going to college is scary. Applying to college is scary. Gosh, even just talking about college and the future used to get me nervous and frantically trying to change the subject. It's all very daunting.

But once you're here, that nervousness and trepidation turns to excitement and acute awareness of all the activity going on around you.

College seems like a lot. The classes, the people, the professors, the opportunities on campus, the possible jobs, the weird dining halls, the roommates, etc. And yes, it is all that in more, but what they don't tell you in high school is how much help you get along the way, especially during freshman year. Yes, going to college is an important step in exercising your independence, but you're still teenagers. And colleges know that. Your advisers know that, and there's no way they're going to let you go through it without any sort of guidance.

Speaking of people you meet along the way, having friends is a big part of college. One thing I've learned (and everyone I've talked to pretty much agrees with this statement) is that making friends is the easy part, keeping them is what takes work. There are so many chances to meet new people in college, so don't worry, you'll actually make a lot of fast friends. But you have to make sure you do your part in keeping up with these friends, whether it's through Snapchat or text messages, lunches together or coffee study sessions, city walks or movie nights. It is your responsibility to keep engaged with the people around you, instead of retreating to the comfort of your dorm room and waiting for others to reach out to you. It can be hard sometimes, but it definitely pays off.

Another thing I noticed about all these seniors coming to campus is that they had so much stress surrounding what college would best prepare them for the job they wanted at the moment, or exactly what major coursework they would be taking. Take a deep breath. Yes, it is useful to have an idea of what you want to do in college and in the future workforce for interviews and the like, but for your actual reality in college, it's completely fine to take a step back and think. You'll get your major figured out and your adviser will help you with your classes, it's all good. You have room to take fun classes, or classes from a few different disciplines to really decide what you're interested in. And trust me, this is coming from someone who was exactly like you in that regard.

Your college will also put on endless events and talks and parties for you to go to, and definitely take the time to attend them. Seriously, my roommate won a TV at a BINGO night the college threw as a welcome event. You never know what's going to happen. Yet on that note, don't go to crazy and cancel plans just to attend college events. Yes they can be exciting and interesting, but sometimes it's better to just stay in with your friends if it means really bonding with them and getting to know them. I have felt guilty on many occasions about missing certain things (of which I was not required to go), but I realized that spending time with my friends or getting some much needed homework done was way more valuable in the long run.

So try new things, say yes when friends ask you to go to events, take time to yourself when you need to, go to that author talk even though none of your friends are going, talk to your professor about more than just what your next grade would be.

But the most important thing I've realized about college in the short time I've been here is that those crazy new friendships, the life changing jobs, the new hobby-it's nothing you really plan for. I stumbled into both jobs I have now and I didn't plan on being best friends with the people I'm friends with right now (in fact the group of friends I thought I'd have didn't really work out too well).

Because honestly? That thing we call our future; you'll never see it coming.