Getting ready to leave for college can be a very intimidating time. Packing lists, Financial aid, scheduling classes, finding a person to live with whom you have never met before, and the prospect of leaving the people, places, and routine you have grown up with are all considered to be a part of one of the best times in your life! Right? Right…? While those steps are exciting and fun, they can also be extremely stressful, and even frightening. So take a breath, relax and really enjoy the summer before you leave for college!

One of the most intimidating things about choosing a school, and then preparing for the transition, is leaving your friends. Friends are one of the greatest gifts that life will give you, and many times will be a constant when everything around you appears to be changing. It took me a very long time to find the people I now consider my best friends, but once I did, I wouldn’t take back the journey, or the outcomes for anything in the world.

So as the weeks begin to count down to move-in-day, or simply heading back to school or a job of any kind, every opportunity counts. If your town is boring, and seems completely uneventful, think of it only as an opportunity to explore your creative, and innovative side! Whatever you end up doing, what will matter in the end, are the people you are with, and that they are a part of that memory. But, if you are lacking in options, making your own memories may not be as difficult as it seems!

Tip one: Do group activities.

Chances are, with a group of people, something funny is bound to happen! Your friends most likely share your sense of humor, and when you’re all together, it is a perfect recipe for inside jokes! Those moments of rolling on the floor over something completely silly will be there when you’re having a rough day in the future, and are perfect stories to share later on!

Tip Two: Split the Cost.

Groups also help with keeping the cost down, and we all know money doesn’t grow on trees. This is extremely important if you are about to be under the category of “Broke College Kid” in a few short months, and want to save some of those graduation presents to pay for Ramen down the road. Splitting the cost of an appetizer platter and a humongous dessert from a hometown restaurant is a great way to stay connected to your roots, and the food you know you’re going to miss, while giving you and your pals plenty of time for conversations, and reminiscing.

Tip Three: The Night is Yours!

First check if your town has a curfew, and if it does, make sure to be aware of this. If you are over eighteen, however, go out at night, and see everything in a completely different light! Whether that means taking a walk in the dark, setting fireworks off at the early hours of the morning (and almost blowing yourself up two, okay, three, times), or having bonfires at each other’s houses, there is no better feeling of freedom. Making the decision to get milkshakes and go driving with all of the windows down and music blaring at 11:00 at night is one of the best decisions you can make. Go stargazing, sleep under the moon, learn the constellations and make new ones out of streetlights at midnight. Take time to enjoy the differences darkness can make.

Tip Four: Don’t be afraid to do what you want.

While the past years have been based on what may happen the next year, and keeping bridges intact, don’t be afraid to do what you want. Make new friends, don’t hang out with people you don’t want to, kiss someone, enjoy the people you are with. You’re leaving, and this time should be spent on who will make you happy.

Tip Five: Remember the conversations.

You and your friends already know all about each other, but it is amazing what you can still discover. The move from high school to college brings up so many emotions that you don’t even know you have, and the conversations you will have with the people who are closest to you are priceless. Listen to every word, and share what’s on your mind. You’ll be amazed how much you will discover.

As the summer flies by, and trust me, it does, soak up every moment. You’ll be leaving each other soon, and from there your doors to the world begin to open. Stay in touch with the people you care about, and the ones that care for you, and you will always have the memories.