You’re now officially through your first full month of college. Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday, I was moving into my freshman dorm room, teasing you about still being in high school. And now here we are, two years later...but it feels like two seconds.

It’s hard for me to believe you’re living in a dorm, keeping up with a roommate, and managing a college workload. To me, you’ll always be too young to be doing these #adult things.

Don’t be afraid to try what intimidates you. Who cares if you can’t do backflips and big stunts? You love cheer and you’re good at it. You light up when you step onto the field, and you shout louder than any cheerleader I know. Those girls would be lucky to call you a teammate. Maybe you’ll make the team, maybe you won’t, but you’ll never know unless you try. And the same goes for all things in college, from running for class president to asking a cute boy for his number. To quote "A Cinderella Story", "Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game."

On that note, don’t let rejection ruin your day. In ten years, will it really matter if you didn’t make this club, or get elected this spot, or didn’t get that guy’s number? You probably won’t remember that guy in ten years, anyway (and probably not even the next morning).

Speaking of hungover mornings, please don’t go too crazy. I don’t think my heart could take it to see Snaps of my sweet, innocent baby sister getting drunk. But don’t be scared to let loose and relax once in awhile with a shot (have you tried Fireball yet?)

Oh, and I hear from mom and dad you've especially been loving the pizza in the DH. Pizza is great and all, but remember: everything in moderation. Enjoy those late night pizza orders with your friends, but have some carrots sometimes, too. I know you probably won't listen, but at least I tried.

College is rough and the tide constantly changes. The friends you have right now might still be your friends in four years, or they might be complete strangers. That’s okay. You’ll find your niche someday.

You’ll have your easy classes, but I’m sure you’ve probably already noticed there’s going to be a lot of hard ones, too. College isn’t like high school, the classes are going to be tough. Don’t let one bad grade ruin your day, but don’t let a bunch of bad grades pile up. Study hard, but find a balance.

On that note, you'll learn to love naps. Naps are both a blessing and a curse. Set your alarm wisely.

Don’t worry about how bad things are right now: nothing stays the same from the beginning of freshman year. Your friends will change, your classes will get more interesting, you’ll adjust to living farther from home. Believe it or not, being away from our precious Goldendoodle does get easier (but you’ll never stop missing her).

Everything will go up from here, I promise. You’ll find your place in school and it will become your home. You’ll find the friends with the same interests as you, and they will become your family. You’ll find the activities you love, and those will become your passion.

Just remember this: no matter what happens, no matter how tough things get or how lonely you feel, even though I’m 6 hours away, I’m always here for you. LYLAS!