First off, congratulations on entering college and beginning a new phase in your education. You are going to be challenged here academically in ways you would never expect. You’ll have general requirements, classes in your major, and classes you end up taking that you don't know why you’re taking. You will have the regrettable 8 a.m. classes but really shoot for the 10 a.m. starts. Those are ideal. Register for classes that excite you, intrigue you and challenge your thought process. Some of my favorite classes I ever had were the ones that forced me to think of subjects differently or really push what I already knew.

The independence you will be presented with will take a little getting used to. There will be nobody to tell you to go to bed at a certain time; nobody to tell you to clean your room; nobody to tell you to that procrastinating on your assignments is not the best idea. It’s all on your shoulders now. You are in control of your actions, thus becoming in control of the results. Many don’t adapt to that independence well, but I’m sure you’ll get a hang of it.

Now, dorm life: that’s a whole different ball game. You go from living in your own room back at home to sharing a small space with another person. Learn how to make this work. There’s nothing worse than living in the same room as somebody who you don’t get along with. Create a dialogue, keep communication open. Respect each others’ individual space, understand not every day is going to be great. I came into college not knowing who my roommate was, but thankfully we are still friends to this day. We learned to live with each other and we came out of our dorm living as stronger friends.

Enjoy your time here in college. The next four years — or five, no judgment on how long it takes — will be some of the best of your life. You will change and grow, and learn more about yourself than you could possibly imagine. You will learn your strengths, weaknesses, and how to deal with the obstacles that place themselves in your path. You will have your heart broken and find love again. You will meet new friends and lose touch with some old ones. You will go through more highs and lows than you will be able to remember, but that’s college. Be open to change. This is your time to find out who you are — or who you don’t want to be. This experience will go quicker than you can process, so start your first year with an open mind and be open to whatever falls in front of you.

From an outgoing senior to you incoming freshmen, I hope you enjoy this experience. I sure did. Good luck, and make the most of it.