What now? Most of you are just finishing up the best summer of your life; your senior year summer. You have probably spent your summer on a beach, at the river, at Disney, Busch Gardens, Blue Bayou, Six Flags, Summer Camps or even just at home chilling. You have probably spent countless nights partying and hanging out with your friends and family. Now you are about to begin your college career and you are asking yourself: What now?

Let me be the first to tell you, but you are going to have to work, and I mean pull out all the stops, if you truly want to be here. Don’t let that scare you though, college life is quite rewarding. If you happen to go to school on one side of the state and live and in the total opposite, you have almost no choice but to live in the dorms and/or apartments on campus. I managed to stay there for four years and I saw quite the change. There’s a really good chance that your first college roommates will be the ones you keep in touch with the most throughout your adult life. I made so many friends living in the dorms, and we still see each other quite often. Importantly remember why you’re here.

For me college has been one of the most stressful times of my life. But the rewards are what makes it better. There have been many times I wanted to quit, throw my hands up, yell screw it and give up. For some reason I always found something or someone to make me stay and keep on going. I’m glad I didn’t bug out early, I would’ve missed so much great things and great relationships with my friends and coworkers. Now this sounds absurd for me to tell you all this, but believe me: don't think that you can put something off and trying to do it later. Do it now, not later. I am the master of procrastination and often it has suited purposes well, but it comes with disadvantages, like not getting to hang out with friends because you have to do assignments.

I haven’t mastered the all nighter study nights yet during finals… I’m working on that, but have been deemed unsuccessful. If you want it bad enough, you will work for it relentlessly though sometimes it isn’t enough and that’s okay. Remember how I was talking about my roommates? I was hanging out with him over a winter break and we went to eat with his family and his uncle told me something I took to heart. “When you are taking a test or quiz remember to always aim for an A. If you aim to pass you could make a D or a C. If you aim for a C you’ll probably get a C. But when you aim for an A and keep that in your head taking the test your outcome could very well be an A or if not that a B.” Always give it your best.

If I could pass my three top things to incoming freshmen, they are as follows. Number one, Do not give up. Whenever you think giving up is the best option, it’s not. Remember I said I was about to give up. I waited many times on the final grades to post to decide, but yet here I am. Number two, find a good group of friend that will lift you up and encourage you do better and to go beyond your expectations and goals. Number three, remember. You are going to grow up the time you spend here, a lot of us will be and are on our own. We will learn all the quick and easy directions in life but we will have hard ones and we have to fight through them to grow and learn stronger for future times. This time is your time, take it and make it your own.