Dear High School Seniors,

Here is a little advice from me to you. Time is slowly creeping up on you isn’t it? Are you thinking to yourself, “wow… I only have one semester left as a high school student…” Well, you’re right. You have one more semester, 14 weeks and three-and-a-half months left with your loved ones.

Now I know that’s a little depressing but I felt now was the appropriate time to share my personal experience with all of you. In high school I was just like you. I wanted the freedom of college; I craved it. No rules, no curfew: I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted to. It was all I could think about. Let me tell you, college is everything you think it is, but there are a few things you don’t know about college and I am here to tell you the things you need to know.

WARNING: This post is not intended to scare you, but to prepare you for the hardest, best four years of your life.

1. Classes
Man, high school classes are so hard aren’t they? Wrong. Senior year was the best year of my life, yes: easy classes, straight A’s, not much homework. I was on top of the world. Then I get to college and go to class the first day thinking, “Freshman year couldn’t be that hard right?” Boy was I wrong. Exams that cover six chapters worth of information, teachers that don’t write the homework on the board, three essays all due on the same day… and that’s just the first two weeks. High school is what they say it is: four years of preparation for college. In this last semester you have, study your butt off. I know you’re thinking, “I only have a couple more months left with my friends, I have to spend every moment with them.” That is very true, but are your friends going to help you find a job, make money and support yourself? Well maybe, but an education is the key to success. Make every moment count kids; you’ll thank me in the long run.

2. Friends
It may seem like you have an eternity left with your friends, but time goes by faster than you ever could’ve imagined. My one word of advice for all the girls reading this: try your hardest to avoid those petty arguments. Don’t waste your time fighting, when you could be making memories that will last forever. Would you rather remember a fight you had, or that one time you laughed until your abs hurt? Girls will be girls, and unfortunately that will never change. They say the relationships you cherish are the relationships that will last a lifetime; every bit of that is true. I had best friends in high school that I know will be my friends forever. You’ll create new friendships with people you meet in college and beyond too, but they will be nothing like those friendships you made in high school. You watched each other grow up, you held each other when you cried over boys, you experienced things you won’t experience with your new friends. Cherish the times you have left; your friends are worth everything.

3. Parents
Now hear me out on this one. I know how all of you are feeling right now trust me. Fighting with your parents over stupid stuff, constantly dreaming of what your life will be like without their rules, counting down the days until you leave? Ah I remember that feeling exactly. Life without authority is a totally different concept. Well, all of those feelings will disappear the second you wave goodbye to your parents on move in day. Your first thought will be, “What now…” Everything becomes so real; you feel lost. You are now on your own; all decisions you make are now up to you and only you. All I can say from my own experience is appreciate your parents and the things they do for you. Go hug them and thank them for being the best. Your parents sacrifice more than you understand to create an easy, guided lifestyle for you. Parents are your friends too; make them know you realize what they do for you and you couldn’t thank them enough.

So now that I have sufficiently scared you for the years to come, I can tell you how amazing college life truly is. I like to describe college as the three F’s: Friends, Freedom and Football. If you are like me, you will try your hardest to experience every aspect of college. From hanging out in your friend’s dorm for hours to studying in the library until 2 a.m., the freedom is ridiculous. A little advice to all the partiers out there; plan your week accordingly. I learned that going out on a Thursday isn’t always fun when you have a 9 a.m. class the next morning. College parties are great and all, but they definitely do NOT define your school.

Use your first semester as a learning tool; learn your limits, adjust to the speed of college and find your niche. I’m telling you it won’t come easy, but it will happen. Get yourself out there, discover the opportunities that face you, and make a life for yourself. Let your professors guide you in the right direction. Even when you don’t agree with their teaching styles or grading system, let them know you will make the commitment to succeed any way you can.

College is what you make of it. Live it up!