Dear Graduating High School Seniors,

After you walk across that stage in May and proudly receive your diploma, your life begins to change. You will probably experience the best and saddest summer of your existence as it all comes to a close.

There are a few pieces of advice I want to give to the incoming freshmen next year that I wish was shared with me before my first semester.

The first is to consider another's perspective. Looking at life from one view will create a closed, negative mindset that will lead them to no growth as a person. There are always two sides to every story, and spreading hate by glancing at the surface (and not what’s inside) is the worst thing someone can do. We are all in a new environment trying to survive together.

Talking negatively about others will not show who they are, but rather show the true character of yourself. Enter college bringing people up. When we live in a world that tears others down, be ready to be there to pick them up and help them move on. Take the time to get to know someone, because you will never know if you will become their person in this world. Quite possibly, they could become your person too.

Turn to others in times of need. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge that you cannot do this all on your own. Go see your professor when you need help, go call your parents when you’re stressed past your limits, and go to your friends when you need someone to hold. This world was never made to be conquered alone. There will be times where you don't want to admit you’re struggling, but I can assure you that it's alright to be open. They will understand sharing the pressures of this world. Don't be afraid that you’re all alone, because you’re not.

The best piece of advice I could give to you future college students is that things will get better. Putting so much pressure on yourself in the moment will be the way things simply are. I just want to remind you that, in the future years, the one quiz you didn't do so well on? It will mean nothing as long as you never stop applying yourself and working for your goals.

I can almost promise to you that those little things that made you stressed, or cry, will be a minor detail in your constantly changing life.

Set the highest goals you can. Look far into the future and the life you want to live, because it will motivate you to keep moving forward. College isn’t easy. There will be times you want to just give up and declare that it’s not worth it, but it is. This is the time where you discover who you are and what kind of life you want to live. Push yourself to be a better person than you were the day before. Walk out after these four years being able to say, “I made a difference."

You don’t have to change the world, but changing one’s life could change the world for them.

There is so much I wish I could tell you, but I'm still figuring it all out myself too. There is not a set path, and I still have the many years ahead of me to find my own. These next four years are a time for you to figure out the person you want to be. You direct that path you want to take.

Try out for different sports, sing your lungs out at the open mic night, make new friends, and do your best everyday. The time you spend here is actually the fastest four years of your life. It might not seem like it, but cherish every moment you can, because in the end, there are no second chances. Take them all now, and college will be the greatest time of your life.

Sincerely,

Someone Who Has Been Through It