Senior year of high school, all I could think about was moving off to college and being on my own and how awesome it was going to be. Little did I know, it would be everything I thought it would be and everything I thought it wouldn’t be. When my parents drove all of my stuff to the college I was attending, I was excited and nervous all at the same time. I’ve never really been away from my parents for longer than a couple of days, so this was such a big change, but a good one. The first thing I learned while moving to college was not to pack EVERYTHING. I promise that dress you’ve had sitting in your closet for the past year you’re waiting for the “perfect” moment to wear, yeah, you will probably never wear it. The dorms are big enough for you to make it homie, but not big enough to bring everything from home. Which brings me to the next thing I learned very quickly, the more you bring, the more laundry you have to do. I always did my laundry at home, but I never worried about the dryers not drying my clothes or someone taking my things because they sat in there five minutes after it was done. Moral of the story: Set a timer when you do laundry. Oh, and tide pods are the best thing ever invented.
The next important thing I learned, what happens in high school stays in high school. Just because you were a nerd in high school and people thought you were lame, I promise none of that matters in college. Everyone is different and that’s the best thing I think you take from college. There is so much diversity that being different is a good thing. You can be friends with one group of people and be friends with another group and it is perfectly OK. You do NOT have to choose between people. Side note: Don’t worry about stupid arguments you have with your friends because, in the end, things tend to work out. It’s not worth the added stress when finals are right around the corner. The beauty of college is finding yourself. You do what makes YOU happy. So, come into college, wherever you decide to go with an open mind. So what if you end up at the same college as some of your old classmates, make it a point to start over. Start fresh, become the person you always wanted to be in high school but were scared of what people would think.
OK, listen closely. Are you listening? The MOST important thing I learned all during my freshman year was how important family is. Make sure to call your mom and dad and grandparents every day or as often as you possibly can. You never realize how good you have it at home until its 10 p.m. and you realize you haven’t eaten dinner yet and all you have in your dorm is some Ramen. Everything is closed and you only have $4 in your account so you’re forced to eat it for the fifth time that week but, ya know, it's causal. You will miss home-cooked meals more than anything, so when you go home plan to take containers and stock up on leftovers. I don’t think I can stress enough how important family is. You don’t realize it until you move away but you will miss your family so much. Make sure to call your parents and grandparents and let them know you’re thinking about them and missing them because I promise it will help them with the change of you being gone, but it also helps to hear a familiar voice when things get crazy.
Go to class, do your assignments, call your family and, last but certainly not least, have fun.
