Most of you are experiencing a couple hundred different emotions about stepping out of your parents homes and taking your first step towards the real world. As an incoming college senior, there are some things that I'd like to give you a little bit of advice on.
Be outgoing and personable.
You have some stuck-up attitude reputation that made you "cool" in high school? It probably won't get you far in college considering everyone is trying to make new friends. You need to be open-minded, and never judge a book by it's cover. I know it sounds cliche, but being open with meeting new people will open so many doors and friendships for you. Not to mention, if you get a random roommate that you don't like, it's NOT the end of the world. It just serves as another reason to get yourself out there and meet people you'll be able to room with the next three years.
Don't be scared.
All the nerves you feel right now about either staying at your state school or going across the country, they're all normal. Don't let your fears that kept you from doing things in high school keep you from doing even better things in college. We're here to learn yes, but we're also here to experience new things and create thousands of memories.
Be yourself and find yourself.
Please for the love of yourself and others, just be yourself. No one wants to think you're someone one day and someone else another. This is your chance to hop out of the generalizations people created for you the first 18 years of your life. But hey, if you don't know how to be yourself, then explore yourself. Find out what you like to do, the kinds of people you like to surround yourself with, and what truly makes you happy. This will only benefit you, not hurt you.
Take school seriously.
Yes, college is fun, you can sorta-kinda "freely" drink underage and you don't have your parents telling you what you can and can't do. Just make sure you're mature enough to put yourself and your goals first. You are here and you are PAYING to get a higher education. You aren't paying to skip classes every day because you have total FOMO for every party your friends may go to. Nothing is more satisfying than getting good grades and being able to have fun at the same time. You'll only get discouraged if your grades start to drop because you can't balance the two.
Talk to your parents.
THEY MISS YOU. You may be too busy to realize how much you miss them, but just remember your seat is empty at the dinner table. Their baby, whether you be their first, second, or third, is off to college alone. They are worried about you and a 10-minute phone call every day will seriously give them a huge amount of reassurance that you're doing fine. Don't just assume that they assume you're doing fine. They want to know what you're up to; although some parents may not want all the details, they want to know you're having the best years of your life.
There are so many other things I could give all of you incoming freshman advice on as you head off to school within the next couple of months, but there are just some things that you're going to have to figure out on your own. As for the things I've talked about above, those are important. Thriving in college is easy when you take it seriously while having fun as the same time.
Good luck,
The senior who still hasn't learned it all.
