Dear Incoming Freshman,

Congrats on officially becoming a Bonnie! That might not mean a lot to you now, but trust me, in just a few short months, you will. Coming from a senior in high school who only went on a recruit trip at Bonas and never went to any of the open houses or other events, I had no clue what I was in for come August. All I knew was that I was excited and a little scared. I was excited to leave my hometown, make new friends, and have a fresh start. I was also afraid for the same reason; I was leaving my friends back home with no guarantee I would make new friends at college.

You'll make friends at orientation. You'll stay up until 3 A.M. ordering Dominos. You'll walk to Walmart for the sole purpose of causing a little trouble (yes, it's a thing). You'll get your first taste of college. Starting at that moment, you'll be counting down the days until you're be back on campus with your new friends.

Move-in day, you'll be so excited that you can hardly contain yourself. You'll also be sad, I'm not going to lie. Hugging your mom goodbye (especially if you're the first or last child) will be hard for the both of you. Then your parents will leave and you and your roommate will be in your dorm hanging up pictures and posters and making your new space feel a little more like home. Trust me, it will soon be second nature to call this place home.

My first tip: go to all the welcome days events, especially the candlelight ceremony. I remember standing there, candle in hand, with my roommate not quite understanding how the speakers could care so much about this school. They talked about how we were officially in the Bona Bubble and these were going to be the best four years of our lives

They weren't lying or exaggerating.

Before you know it, you'll be at midterm break with more friends than you can count and you'll struggle to remember what life was like before Bonas. You'll probably have consumed more french fries in the past two and a half months than in the past six years. You'll no longer be skipping breakfast like you used to in high school because you'll find breakfast is the Hickey's best meal.

To those of you who will be on a sports team, you're in for the best wake-up call of your life. It's not going to be easy, but your teammates are going to become your brothers and sisters. You'll eat nearly all your meals with them, you'll hang with them on and off the field, pool, or track. I can guarantee you you've never been on a closer team in your life.

School won't seem like such a bore anymore, because you'll have friends in your classes and you'll actually be taking classes in topics that interest you, like merchandising and international studies and gymnastics.

Your first basketball game will be a night to remember. You wouldn't think such a small school would have such a loud student section. The Wolf Pack rivals the student sections of schools two or three times the size of our school. And, don't be surprised if you see a couple Friars join the madness.

Come winter break, you'll be sad to leave your friends. You'll miss your room, especially your roommate. Once again, you'll be beyond excited to be back at Bonas at the end of break, even though you're going to be dropped straight into the tundra. My advice: buy a knee-length winter jacket.

I could ramble on for hours about how this upcoming year will be the absolute best year you've had so far, but no two stories are the same. One thing I can guarantee though is that choosing St. Bonaventure is the best decision you've ever made. I think freshman lacrosse player, and one of my best friends, Molly Driscoll says it best, "So lucky to go to a school where you meet people who say 'I don't wanna leave.'"

So get ready, because Bonaventure will be here before you know it. Welcome to the Bona Bubble.