Dear baby brother (or sister),

I can't believe that the time has come for you to finally follow in my footsteps and go off to bigger and better things: college. As I watched you lead your class at graduation, it still hadn't hit me that you were actually graduating. Even when they called your name, I cheered and applauded, watched as mom started to cry and it hadn't yet sunk in that you would no longer be in high school; but now, as the summer days pass by and it gets closer to August, I realize that I will no longer be the only child in college.

All I can say is, you made it! No doubt that these next four years will be everything you want them to be and more. Going to college is a wonderful stage of life and I know you're going to make the most of it. It might be scary at first, going to a new state - without knowing a single person, wondering if your roommate will be "cool" and even hoping they have good hygiene habits - but I promise you everything will workout. You will feel like a new person, stepping onto that campus for the first time as a college kid and you get to be whoever you want to be there. Leave your mark on that campus and never forget a single memory you make there.

Having been through three years of college myself already, I can't help but want to give you some advice. College is a new start and there, everyone is an equal. So although you may just be a freshman, don't be intimidated because chances are you'll be taking a lot of the same classes as the upperclassmen.

If there is any piece of advice you actually take before starting your first day is to make sure you find your classes before the actual first day of school. You don't want to be that kid that runs in, face red as a stop sign, panting because you were on the wrong side of campus trying to find the class. It happens, but it's best to be prepared because 100 people's eyes on you on the first day may be hard to recover from.

Next, read the class syllabus' BEFORE you go to class! My freshman year I showed up to Spanish, not knowing about an online syllabus, so in a different language my teacher yelled at me and I spent the class doing the homework that I was already supposed to have had done.

WARNING: The Freshman 15 is not a hoax. It happens. Take it from someone who experienced it fully plus some. That being said, just because it may be an "all you can eat" buffet with dessert, doesn't mean you should literally eat all you can and get dessert after as well. But I will admit that college lunches at the dining hall is an upgrade from cafeteria lunch in high school.

Since you will probably not know anybody going into your first day, I highly encourage you to talk to every person you get the chance to during orientation, and especially during that first week of school. Guaranteed the first few people you meet will stick with you and be around to endure the next four years with you. I can't stress enough how important it is to meet people because you never know who could become your best friend - but I know you wont have a problem with that.

Finally, being a good big sister, I'm going to tell you NOT to skip class. College is not cheap and if you do the math, every class you skip is $$$ down the drain - so just don't do it. Trust me there will be time to take periodic naps, but don't jeopardize your future for an extra 45 minutes of sleep - especially because teachers will not hesitate to lower your grade if you're never there (shocker).

I sincerely wish I had an older sibling to give me some good advice before my freshman year, but I had to learn the hard way. So I'm doing you a favor and trying to prepare you as best I can for your first year of school. Trust me this isn't everything I could warn you about but it's okay to make a few mistakes of your own. And remember, if you have anymore questions while your there, or just miss me, I'm only one call away.