Hello incoming freshman, and welcome to college. You are about to start the most amazing journey of self discovery and education. I hope you are ready. And I know things look scary, but I want to let you know that you can do it. You are going to learn how to be independent and you are going to grow up a lot in the coming months. But to ease your worries, let me give some advice about the things that I learned.

1. Trust yourself.

You can do this. I know that moving away from mom and dad is hard. You just have to trust that they taught you everything you need to know. You need to trust yourself and believe you know how to take care of yourself and your new relationships. You need to trust yourself to learn and grow and become a better person. And it is OK to make mistakes or call home if you have a question. But just know that you can do it.

2. Go through rush.

This was the best decision of my life. I made so many friends throughout the experience and found my new home on campus. Even if you are unsure of rushing, you can go through it and not join a house. However, you might be glad that you did rush.

3. Put yourself out there.

You are moving somewhere where you probably don't know anyone. You need to make new friends and find a group of people you can belong with. Don't hide in your dorm room and hope that people will try to seek you out. You need to be out moving about and meeting people. Just going to class won't help you. So go, be social, and be yourself.

4. Take care of yourself.

Eat good food and exercise. Don't change your good habits that you had at home and challenge yourself to go the extra mile. Make good study habits and use your resources. Get some sleep. Your body and mind will thank you later. Try not to get sick and keep your mind healthy. Be watching out for yourself. You can make college count and you won't have to worry about sickness and tiredness.

5. Don't take an 8 a.m.

This is from personal experience. I thought I was a morning person, but I really am not. Don't take an early class if you don't think you can make it. It is hard to get out of bed. You might think you can do it because you did it in high school, but now you don't have your mom to force you out of bed. Take a later class.

6. Go to class.

It makes tests and finals so much easier. Most professors don't care if you show up, but when test time comes, you are going to struggle. Also, professors are most of the time really interesting, and class can be fun. Professors might bring food sometimes, too.

7. Make the most of your first year.

You are about to grow as a person and become more of yourself. You will have freedom and fun. Be responsible and make safe decisions. Learn about others and yourself. This is the best four years and it is about to start. Do something amazing.

I hope this helps. And just know that anyone older than you at your school is really nice and will tell you the same things I told you. Good Luck.