I would like to address a topic that this nation has been talking about for centuries. College, as I see it, is a higher education institution that introduces you to a career that you will be doing for a lifetime. College changes many freshmen who enter in a positive and negative way. Throughout college, some become alcoholics and some become honor students. It all depends on who you put yourself around and what mindset you bring to college. College is tough if you make it tough and do not put in the time and effort to achieve greatness. Success is a bit of luck and hard work. Freshmen in college and high school are two different categories. Many enter college as immature and progress to become mature. There is no one to babysit you in college and ask you, "Why you did not do your homework that was due a week ago?" You will get a big fat F on the assignment and move on with your life. I really pray the freshmen entering college take it seriously from the first day and do not think it will be a walk in the park. The workload is immense and will only accumulate as the years go on in your college career.

You will lose friends and gain friends, just like in high school, but here, choose very carefully. Friends here can make you or break you -- and do not assume that everyone is trustworthy, either. Trust in college is tested by how you act at parties, how you do your schoolwork, and whether you are pushover as a person.

The tests can be tedious, and answering questions quickly is not be the smartest idea either. College has taught me that nothing in life comes easy, and hard work can take you a long way. Life is not about how many mistakes you make, but if you learn from them and make them positive. The three things that you need in college are work, success, and positivity. Do not get caught up in too much parties, because that can give you a bad image and some bad grades at the end of the semester. People must realize that college is not free unless you get a four year scholarship, paid in full. College is not a free education, but a paid education that decides your fate in life.

I want everyone to realize that college can take you to places that you have never seen in your life, including some dark places -- places where you make mistakes and it hits you hard. Stepping on a stone barefoot is a good analogy. College can be a hole someone cannot get out of, or a mistake everyone can learn from. College is what you make of it, which is the reason why many people say "College can be the best years of your life."