College has been an amazing experience, and that is the understatement of the century. Looking over the last four years, I can happily say I don’t have too many, if any, regrets. Life may have been a smidge easier, however, if I had just shut up, stopped internally crying (hysterically) for a few minutes, really listened to the advice handed down to me, and had some damn faith in myself. And so, I give to you the four mantras I wish I could force on my younger, scared self to smooth out some of the kinks you’re going to face throughout your time on campus:

1. Stop psyching yourself out. The first few days, and even weeks, may just make you feel like the biggest loser out there. Everybody and their mother seemed to walk onto campus and meet their future maid-of-honor who conveniently lives across the hall, has the same schedule, and both know Becky from summer camp. Do those people exist? Sure. There are the lucky few who are blessed to start school with the same people they’ll pop champagne bottles with on graduation day four years from now. Most of us normal humans aren’t always so lucky. I can guarantee that for every perfect-looking flock of girls, there are twenty other freshman (hell, even upper-classmen) that are walking around, pretending to be on the phone while simultaneously walking into the wrong bathroom because they genuinely have no idea where the hell they’re going or why they thought college was a good idea. You will find your T-Swift-grade squad, and a month from now the fear you felt today will make you feel like a herb, but proud that you stuck it out.
2. Try anything and everything. And then try anything all over again. There may be a moment, months from now, where you just feel deep in your gut that this campus just isn’t the place for you. But you don’t get to feel that way until you did your due diligence and put in the work, because trust me, if you do, chances are you won’t have to worry about filling out the transfer paperwork. If I ignored the opportunities and invites I received during my first few weeks of school, I wouldn’t have (literally) any of the friends I do now, nor the endless interests I developed in the mean time. I found out I liked to competitively row with eight other girls in a boat- who knew? I joined a sorority on a whim, and was inspired by an overwhelmingly diverse group of women I would not have met otherwise. I travelled across the Atlantic ocean to push myself even further into the unknown, because the last thing you want to let yourself do is be “content.” I know, I'm sure that sounds absurd. All you want to feel is safety and comfort right about now. But when you finally get there, feed the curiosity that you may push to the side because you’re afraid you’ll push too far. Like the last thing that made you wet your pants with fear, you’ll adjust and thrive and learn so much more about yourself than you knew possible. Join every club that even remotely sounds interesting (or boring- it may be your future career). Don’t pass up anything, because it could just be anything that changes your life.
3. Don’t drink the punch. Or do! The freedom that has been handed over to you the day mom and pop left you in your dorm is seriously underestimated. Gone are the days you have to wake up on a Saturday morning to a screaming mother banging on your door with a vacuum (that is, until you’re on break). That 11 o’clock curfew? Not a thing. And even further, so is the breath check after a night out to make sure your friends didn’t pack a few Twisted Teas while you hung around in parking lots or drove around endlessly with no destination. And so, should you decide to take a walk on the wild side and down a shot or two before experiencing the (very) eye-opening event known as a “frat party,” than you do you, boo-boo. The key to a fun and safe night all lies in the defensive strategy. Things you’ve heard a million times over, like cover your cup with your hand, don’t drink your drink (or any drink) that’s been left unattended, and “don’t follow that sketchy super-senior who complimented your jeans and offered you free alcohol into his room” are all over-used warnings because the fear and potential for danger is real. College not only makes you smarter academically, but logically. All that being said, should you choose the sober route because who the hell needs a drink to have a good time, than more power to you. You get to skip the hangover and that embarrassing fall down the stairs that is essentially a rite of passage for drunken freshman. To top it off, you can actually get some work done during your weekends. All that matters is that it was you’re open to every opportunity and it’s you who made the decision to chug the drink or pass it to someone else. Which leads me to…
4. These are your four years. Not your roommates’. Not your mom’s or dad’s. Hell, they’re not even mine, unfortunately. When you walk across the stage and get your diploma in four (very short) years, it will be you who will be reliving all the laughter and tears and all nighters and breakfasts that turned into all-day feasts because you and your friends could not stop laughing about last night’s shenanigans. When you join us here on the dark side, taking victory laps through your metaphorical pool of debt, it’s all gonna be worth it if you did them right; I promise.

College cracked me open and left me scared, vulnerable and somewhere near a mental rockbottom, but it also left me with nowhere else to grow but up. My future is still uncertain, my dream-job still looming in the distance somewhere, waiting for me to stumble upon it and pick it up and live happily-ever after. However, on this side, I am confident in myself. I like who I see when I wake up in the morning getting ready for work. I have acknowledged my shortcomings and put in the work every day to be better and live better. The unknown only means endless options, choices, and excitement. You will feel all of these things. Come home when you’re stressed, FaceTime when you want to see our puppy, and have your friends visit when you need a taste of home. But through it all, even though it sounds like I’m tossing you to the wolves, it’s good to feel scared. It means you’re doing something right. Now get out there, live the life you imagined, kick some ass and don’t let yourself down. You deserve it.