Let me start by saying congratulations! You made it. After all the endless drama, prom dresses, football games and heartbreaks, you’re finally here. And boy does it feel good. So what to do now? Where does life take you from here? For some that may mean college, while others it may mean starting the work force straight out of high school, and both are OK. This is the point in your life where for once you’re choosing what you do and where you’re going. For the most part you’re all basically 18, so that means you’re an adult. Yikes! But I assure you as long as you waited to get here, it’s not all unicorns and rainbows like it’s made out to be. Adulthood means bills, grocery shopping alone, and doctor’s appointments without mom. But on the brighter side of things, adulthood also means becoming your own person, becoming independent, and deciding what you want to do with the rest of your life. I’m gonna give you some insight on what to expect in the next year or so. Here it goes…

1. “Freshmen-15” is real.

It happens people. And for those of you that don’t know “freshmen-15” is better known as freshmen year of college hitting you hard, so hard that it leaves you with a few extra pounds that weren’t there before. Best way to avoid this is to not get caught up in the whole, My dad can’t make me eat what he’s cooking for supper, so I’ll go get Cane’s and no one can tell me anything," phase. This will turn into a routine that will later turn into a lifestyle you will come to regret. Cook your own meals, workout at the REC that you’re paying for in your tuition, and I mean you will be walking to class all the time, so there’s that.

2. People don’t care who you were in high school.

Don’t expect your reputation from high school to follow you to college. I promise you no one will ask you if you were prom queen or if you ate your lunch in the bathroom stall in high school. For some, this may be a good thing, while others worry about starting over. This is a good thing people. You get a clean slate. Who wouldn’t want that? You can decide who you want to be for once and not what others make you out to be. This is your time, so use it wisely.

3. Get involved!

For some this means joining a sorority or fraternity, while to others this may mean joining a religious organization or running for student government (yes, they have that in college). But please, get involved because it is so easy to feel alone in college. You’re moving away from home, you’re in an unfamiliar place with a lot of unfamiliar faces, you’re starting new routines. You need people, and people need you believe it or not. Just try it out. Like I said before you’re making the decisions here.

4. Being lost and confused.

This is completely a thing! You will get physically lost and mentally lost, and this will cause you to be confused. You will literally question every decision you made down to if you should have eaten that second helping of macaroni or not. It’s crucial. You will probably change your major -- I have three times. It happens. Deciding what you go to college for is a huge decision. You’re basically deciding what you’re going to do with the rest of your life. Try things out, nothing has to be set in stone. No one is 100 percent about anything in college, I promise.

5. Be a boss student.

Legit. If you’re not on top of your school work in college, then you’re going to drown and your professor will not be throwing you a life preserver. Nine times out of 10, your professors won’t care. They give you the material and you’re expected to learn and know it. We’re adults now. The biggest mistake ever is screwing around your first semester of college. Don’t do it because GPA doesn’t forgive and it will take you forever to bring it back up. Take it from me, I failed my nutrition class my first semester of college. Like what is that?

This new stage in your life can be scary, but don’t let it be. Take control of it. Embrace it. Not everything will be perfect. You will have nights where you completely neglect your school work and binge watch Netflix while eating a whole box of pizza alone. It happens. There will be nights where you won’t study for a test until the night before. It definitely happens. You will have an emotional breakdown at some point causing you to call your mom or dad at 2:45 a.m. just to hear their voice. It happens. But college is fun. It’s honestly what you make of it. So make it fun. Make new friends. Try new things. Discover yourself. And make good grades?

Good luck on this new journey life has to offer you!