You're freshly graduated and ready to go from the top of the food chain right back down to the bottom again. You're ready to study exactly what you love to learn about and nothing else. You've packed probably all of your wardrobe, finished all the shopping for dorm life needs, and painted a permanent smile on your face for when you finally meet your roommate and move into your new home. You anticipate all the adventure that will go into welcome week alone, as well as all the new faces that you'll become familiar with along the way. It's a new start, a new place, and a new time to reinvent yourself into whoever you wish to become.

You're right to be excited about these things.

The number of people you meet within your first few months at college will be mind-boggling. You probably won't remember everyone's names, which is okay. Odds are, they aren't exactly sure who you are either. You'll more than likely see a ton of kids from your orientation group running around, as well as run into people from your high school that decided on attending the same college. The amount of activities that are available to you during welcome week is incredible, so be sure to hit up whatever you can. Attend the involvement fair. Get the tickets for the welcome week concert. Hang out with and get to know your roommate so you're off on the right foot. Get excited.

But once all the festivities die down, be ready to get serious.

I will be honest in that the first few weeks of college are not easy to adjust to. Don't convince yourself that you are going to be the one kid that doesn't have to study because you never did in high school. It just doesn't happen. You also aren't going to be studying only what you love your first couple of years. You're going to have to jump through hoops by taking general education courses that you don't particularly want to, as well as major course requirements that you don't find as appealing. However, keep the faith -- you will eventually get to everything you want to know, and there will be courses along the way that you find yourself falling in love with. Regardless, study hard and work hard. Your grades are really important now, so don't fall behind. Be sure to find the classes with easy going professors. A professor can EASILY make or break a class. Finally, make sure you do well on your very first exam. Your first exam will set the stage for how you're going to do the rest of the semester.

Now, not everyone that you meet in college will be your best friends -- in fact, most of them probably won't be, and you'll probably find that there are tons of people with ways of thinking that you've hardly been exposed to before.

And that's okay.

Use it as a learning experience. Try to be more open-minded to other ideas and ways of thinking, but not so open-minded that you lose your own opinions. You will find some really wonderful people during your first years in college. Some of your best friends might come from your freshmen year. Leave your dorm room door open, get to know the people across the hall, and talk to people in your lectures. You're going to want some friends in your classes for study groups and the works. All in all, surround yourself with the people you have the most fun with. If you find yourself tied in with a toxic person, it's okay to cut it off -- it's college, so odds are, there won't be much drama attached to it.

Join clubs that you wouldn't have thought you would join in high school. Do activities that you've always wanted to try. College is an excellent time to find yourself and all the things you enjoy. Even if you decide you don't like a certain club or organization much after joining, you can always stick it out just for the semester. There's almost always someone else that can become a friend while you're there.

I can't stress this enough -- BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR PROFESSORS. It's especially important if you're going to need a letter of recommendation down the line, but it's also important because if you need help on class material, advice on school, or even just a personal character witness, they will have your back.

Finally, the freshmen fifteen is real. It is no myth. You may have participated in various sports in high school, but remember it was those sports that kept you in shape. You can go to the gym, join a rec league, or even go to the various fitness classes that are held on campus with friends. As long as you're active, you have nothing to worry about. However, if you're not, you may want to watch your eating habits or just watch yourself in general.

Don't let any of this advice intimidate you.

College is one grand adventure. You'll find yourself in the kindness club on campus, as well as in sword fighting. You'll find friends in odd places. You'll start studying more relevant material to what you want to do as opposed to the general curriculum. You'll find yourself in a chocolate class just to fill a general education requirement. You'll find yourself up at two in the morning on most nights, whether it be from a night with friends or studying hard. You'll learn so much about yourself and who you are. You'll rid yourself of bad habits and form good ones. You'll miss some things about home and high school. You'll grow so much as a person within a time frame you weren't even sure would be possible.

Make the most of your college years. There is so much opportunity lying in wait that you'll probably be overwhelmed. You may not know where to start or where things end, but that's okay. Take your time figuring it out. Understand that sometimes you'll have to miss out on a fun night to study for a big test, but I promise there will be plenty more. Enjoy your years. Have fun, and stay safe.

Believe me, this is only the beginning.

Sincerely,

A Girl Just Beginning The Journey