Dear [insert name here],

First and foremost, congratulations on making it to college! The four years you spent in high school probably went by a lot faster than you expected them to, and your high school graduation is most likely going to leave you shocked that it’s finally time for you to grow up. With that being said, you’ll soon discover that your time spent in college will be some of the most fun years of your life; Now you have new freedom and limitless experiences with no one to stop you or tell you to slow down. Your wardrobe is probably already stocked with all the colors of your new school, and your excitement for the upcoming fall has made its way all around your high school—everyone knows where you’re going and how you can’t wait to leave your small town.

Here’s some advice: don’t be in such a hurry to leave. Take the time to drive around familiar roads, eat at your favorite restaurants, and hang out with your high school buds. Simple things like this will be greatly missed, and when you come back for breaks nothing will ever be the same or make you feel the way that it does right now.

Spend time with your family, no matter how much your sister annoys you or how little tolerance your mom has for your “attitude problem.” Simple trips to the grocery store and weekend nights spent at home watching Netflix hold so much more sentimental value than partying with people who won’t even remember your name within a couple passing years.

Most of all, don’t wish away your whole summer. These couple months that stretch between high school graduation and move-in day may seem like an unimaginable expanse of time, but I promise they’ll pass by within the blink of an eye if you aren’t careful.

Once you get to school, things are going to be hard. Your first couple of weeks will be great, I guarantee it. Everything will be brand new and exciting, which is totally understandable. You have a whole new world awaiting for you to discover. However, you’ll eventually settle into a routine and you’ll realize that homesickness is an entirely real thing and a new type of sadness like no other will fall down on you.

Stay strong.

Seeing new friends go home for the weekend will hurt. You’ll miss your bed and your mom’s lectures and your favorite sandwich shop. You’ll want to hop on the first flight home to receive the comfort of familiarity.

Stay strong.

With time you’ll adjust. You’ll learn to love your new environment, and you’ll realize you picked your school for a reason. Soon your new friends will no longer be “new friends”, but just “friends.” You’ll make new memories, and you’ll find things that’ll help you grow more and more attached to your new school with each day. You’ll walk around campus and begin to feel a sense of belonging, and you’ll understand that everything is going to be okay.

But, for the time being, please continue reveling in the joys of finishing up high school and everything that defines being a senior. Enjoy being home, and don’t take this time for granted.

Best Wishes,

A Student Who Misses Home