As my freshman year in college comes to a close, I have been reflecting on all of the things I learned in the past two semesters. A lot of things I didn’t expect happened, I learned things I never thought I would, I had to live without my family for the first time in my life, and I found out so much about myself. The person who I was in August of last year is most definitely not the same as the person I am now. And because of this, there are so many things I wish I could go back in time and tell myself as I went through high school. The following is exactly what I would say.

First, don’t worry about what your friends are doing. Everyone is on their own path in life and if you rely on the people around you to get to where you’re going, you’ll never learn how to make mistakes and work hard on your own. I can think of so many times in high school when I did things only because my friends were. I should have tried new things on my own and tried harder to be my own person. Coming to college you have no choice, but to be on your own when you first arrive. Making the most of your opportunities on campus is the most important thing to do and will lead to your success. Never be afraid to take a risk and stray from what your friends are doing.

Appreciate your parents. I cannot stress this enough. Those days when you come home from school and have a short chat with your mom or have a fast food dinner with your dad -- those are the times you will miss most. You never realize how much your family does for you until you are miles and miles away from them. Never take a small gesture for granted because those are ultimately the most important. Thank your parents for all they do for you, it is often a thankless job and they deserve appreciation for being there.

Appreciate home cooked meals while you can. No matter how good your college dining hall is, you will forever miss coming home to a nice meal and sitting at the dinner table with your family. There’s something so special about family meals like that, so don’t take them for granted.

Don’t take high school sports for granted. One of the things you’ll miss the most after leaving high school is your sports teams. Having a team that you can bond with everyday isn’t something you’re going to experience in college unless you’re a serious athlete. So, make sure to appreciate those post-practice hangouts and team dinners while you can because you’ll be missing it more than anything in college -- wishing you could get back on the field one last time together.

Save your money. Even putting aside a small amount of money from your paycheck each week during high school will help you more than you could imagine in college. Being a broke college student isn’t fun for anyone and having that cushion will help you afford the late night Domino’s that you’ll really want after a night out.

Don’t try to rush through high school to get to college. You hear it all the time, “Get me out of this town,” or “Get me to college,” or “I can’t wait to be miles away.” Although the thought of having independence and being in college is an exciting one, don’t try to rush your high school experience in anticipation. Freshman year you will look back and wish you didn’t try to speed up your senior year of high school. You’ll even miss those classes where you stayed up until 2 AM to get your work done.

Don’t think you need to know what you’re doing with your life. The stress of hearing your classmates talk about their future careers like they’ve already secured a job can be overwhelming as a senior in high school when you have no idea what you want to do. In all honesty, you never know what you really like until you get out into the real world and try it out. The purpose of being in college is to figure out what you want to do, not high school. College is about discovery and seeing what you like and don’t like. You’ll eventually take that class that you fall in love with and you’ll know that’s what you want to do. For now, enjoy exploring your options.

I’m sure anyone out there who is currently a college student can relate to these words of advice and would agree that they shouldn’t be taken lightly. But in the end, college is a time to make mistakes and learn about yourself. If you’re a high school senior about to head off on a new journey, remember to keep this in mind down the road.