We have been told time after time that college is where you find yourself. You make new friends, decide a career, find your significant other, find your adult opinions on certain subjects, and much more. I thought I knew what I wanted in life, who I was, and that I'm 18, I'm an adult, and I can make adult decisions. And boy was I wrong. Very, very wrong. The summer before my first year of college was one of the craziest summers I've ever had. I was wild, out all the time with my friends, soaking up those final moments before we all left and went our separate ways. I loved that summer, and thought, "wow, I'm ready for the real world", but my family, especially my mother knew that I needed a reality check. That summer I was grounded, yes an 18 year old, about to be college freshman was grounded. The first time in my life, to be exact. I went to work and home, and that was it. And I thought it was the end of the world, but looking back I would write myself a letter, explaining what is going to happen and how it will reflect on these next few years. And overall, you will be just okay.

Dear Amy,

First things first, you are not invincible. Also you need to understand that although you are 18 and legally an adult, you truly do not understand what it means to be an actual adult, and you won’t for quite some time. You're still living under the same roof as your mother, and need to respect her and her wishes, even though you will be hours away from home in a couple of months. And although you've paid a deposit, and have your finances set for school, all of that could be taken away in an instant. Plans change, and your parents could easily take that educational opportunity away, if they believe you are not suited for the University life, which Mom had made that very clear. The summer in between senior year and freshman year can be summed up in one word, iconic. You'll have the time of your life, celebrating graduating parties, and going away events, and seeing how your friends grow. There will be tears, and lots of laughs, and you'll be constantly reminding your friends and family how much you will miss them. Because little do you realize you’ll miss them, like crazy. You will however become agitated since you feel that you have the freedom to what you please since you are a grad. But that really just means that you need to work harder, and not slack. This is your opportunity to show your family that you are ready for this new adventure. Tell mom and dad thank you for getting you this far, and for all the expenses of college materials that they will graciously help you with. So much is going to happen in these next few months, but it is truly how you balance and take annotative that makes or breaks this year. Will you thrive or fall under the pressure. It’s your college experience do not forget that. But most of all love yourself, and don’t be afraid to let yourself change and grow. Now kid, it’s all up to you, go get’ them, and stay golden.

Sincerely,

Your Biggest Fan