With move-in day less than a month away, the once limitless possibilities are slowly becoming concrete realities for students across the country, and around the world. The hypotheticals of residence halls, roommates, and schedules are now, for the most part, set in stone.

For most, the concept of sharing a room with a total stranger is both thrilling and terrifying. Do you have different tastes in music? Will you want to binge the same shows on Netflix together?

There’s also the fear of getting lost on campus, not clicking with or understanding the professor, and having trouble meeting people and making friends. College is a time of many variables and uncertainty, and for that reason, our emotions can flip from those of excitement to those of anxiety in a matter of moments.

Personally, I find myself overthinking these possibilities all too often. Not only does this damage our expectations and prevent us from feeling excited about moving into college, but it also eats away our remaining weeks at home with family and friends. That is why I strongly recommend pushing aside all negative thoughts, thinking less about the “what-ifs,” and enjoying the moment. We spend most of our young adult lives worried about the future and getting into college, so it only seems appropriate to take a brief hiatus from the concern and the stress that is reminiscent of the college application process. Focus on the important things, like time with friends and family. Enjoy the little moments of going to see the biggest summer blockbuster at your favorite movie theater around the corner before spontaneously going to eat at the diner with your best friend.

I challenge you to only think of college with the awe and excitement of your younger self – the one who could have never imagined that you would spend the next four years at this incredible institution in this beautiful location, wherever that might be.

We shouldn’t get caught up on the “what ifs” because these make the college experience exciting. We don’t have control over them either, so what is the point of worrying about possible roommate disagreements, impending nights of homesickness, and academic failures? Parts of your college career are bound to be flawed; however, when looking at the overall picture, I hope that you feel an overwhelming sense of connection to your college. The moment that you walk on campus this fall should result in nothing short of the thrill and rush that came with opening your acceptance letter. There’s always the choice to enter something new with fear and anxiety; however, I believe there’s always the conscious decision to embrace change with the wide-eyed optimism of a young child who first steps into Magic Kingdom in Disney World.

I am absolutely ecstatic to begin my collegiate career at NYU, and from this point until move-in day, I am going to embrace each moment knowing that the next four years withhold an uncertainty that makes life exciting and unpredictable in the best possible way. I hope that you do the same.