Dear Best Friend,

I want to start by congratulating you on reaching this point in your life. It truly is a huge accomplishment and I cannot begin to express how proud I am of you. All those AP classes and stressful teachers will be in the past in just a few days but so will a lot of other things that brought you joy these past few years. I am no expert on being out of high school considering I only graduated last year but I do know a thing or two about how it feel thus far.

Spoiler Alert: IT. IS. DIFFERENT.

High school did its best to prepare you for “The Real World” but there is so much you will have to tackle without prior knowledge. Don’t get me wrong, some of you will be thankful to know the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell and that mx=b, however, that will not get you too far.

Mom and Dad cannot come to college with you which means you’re on your own. Sometimes easy mac isn’t that easy. I didn’t realize this until the fire alarm went off at 3 a.m. in the freshman dorms at least twice a semester. No, it was not me who forgot to add water before placing it in the microwave at that ungodly hour. Did you know that it only takes one red poke-a-dot sock to turn an entire wash machine of white wash pink? I do now… Welcome to the live-and-learn stage of your life. You are going to find yourself in countless situations that can either end really well or really bad but both will result in a learning experience that you can refer to for the rest of your life. These lessons you learn will be stored in your memory forever and may become some of the stories you tell your children in the future.

You have to study! We all glided through high school without even cracking open a textbook and managed to ace every exam but college will break that habit. I’m not trying to scare you but warn you that studying will become an hourly activity daily. No, I’m not referring to playing with your phone while a textbook and a set of flash cards are next to you but seriously taking the time and effort to understand each concept the professor hinted would be on the big exam. In a semester, you may only have three or four exams so there is not much wiggle room for a mistake. Look at those exams as an opportunity to show your teacher how smart you really are and don’t let one bad grade throw you off track. I believe in you, you got this!

Remember your agenda book? The one you only wrote your friend’s birthdays in. Yeah, that one! Well, who would have thought you’d be buying one to manage your time in college. Organization is key! Have a calendar or two, don’t rely on your brain to remember everything because you don’t want to be that person to walk into an exam you did not know about. Writing down important dates gives you time to make a schedule and helps you avoid cramming. Although we all cram, it’s part of college.

I make it seem as if there is no time for fun but there is and always will be you just have to get involved. This is where I went wrong my first year of college. I tried so hard to find a place to “fit in” but in reality, everyone is accepted to every club or group on campus. Don’t be like me and have regrets of not joining a club or organization. There are numerous ones to choose from and you don’t have to choose just one. Getting involved opens so many doors for you.

Go to campus events! Besides the free food and T-shirts, you are sure to meet some new people. Events give you an opportunity to meet your classmates and even upperclassmen. Sometimes your RA will have programs and they can actually be really fun! The more you out yourself out there the greater the chance of making friends and having a great time.

When you meet new people it is now in your hands to decide where the friendship goes. Wheatear you just met your new best friend or an acquaintance it’s up to you. You need to think of your best interest while making friends. No, that doesn’t mean you are selfish. It means you are smart enough to know who will help you grow and who will hold you back. College is a learning experience both academically and socially, therefore, mistakes will be made. Just learn from them so you don’t make the same mistake twice.

Now that I have made college out to be this stressful chapter in your life, I want to reassure you that it will be your new favorite chapter. Go out there and rediscover yourself and make memories new memories. I can’t wait to hear all about it when we see each other for the holidays. Never forget that although miles divide us that we are always connected at heart and that I will always be here!

With Unconditional Love,

Your slightly older BFF