Dear 9th Grade Lauren,

You finally made it. Eight+ years of school and you’ve finally made it to high school. Little do you know, you’re about to embark on the craziest, emotional roller coaster you could ever imagine. Be careful, these years are going to fly by quicker than you think, and there are definitely some things you need to know before it all starts.

First of all, you’re going to fall in love, twice actually. You’re going to fall so hard and have some of the best times in your life and that’s okay. I’m not writing this to tell you to watch out or to do things differently, you’ll figure all that out on your own.

I’m writing this to tell you that these relationships aren’t forever. It’s high school and you’re supposed to date and have fun, but don’t let yourself think too seriously about everything. If you drop everything in your life except your boyfriend, you’ll be crushed and lost.

At the end of the day, your three best friends are ALWAYS, and I literally mean always are going to be there for you (shoutout Jess, Danielle, and Liv)

Don’t ditch them for your boyfriend but also don’t ignore them when they tell you the truth that sometimes you don't want to hear. They know you better than you know yourself, and it’s okay to be vulnerable and trust that they know what’s best for you,

Secondly, stop being so dramatic and no matter what’s going on, I can assure you won’t even remember half the stuff that made you cry once you graduate. Before lashing out on your family, or taking everything out on your friends, take a moment to breathe and think.

I know it may feel like it at the time, but it's not the end of the world. Once you’re off to college, you will only remember the good rather than the bad. Anything that seems like a huge deal now, won’t matter.

You’re going to realize you have anxiety over the silliest things, and you’re going to have a lot of problems dealing with it. That’s okay because you’re not supposed to immediately know how to handle something you’ve never handled before.

Let yourself cry, but remember that you need to learn. There will be a day when you can’t call the person you’ve always called to help you through an anxiety attack. You need to learn to be independent in dealing with it before it’s too late.

But also lean on your friends because they’re there to help you through these hard times. You always have someone to call on so trust your instinct because you know they will drop what they’re doing to take you to Wendy’s after a breakup, or just talk you through something over the phone.

They’re there for you so you need to utilize them and let them know how much you appreciate them.

Lastly, you are going to fall in love with Oxford, Mississippi in a few years. The moment you walk on the Ole Miss campus, you’ll know it’s home but don' let yourself get so wrapped up in everything in college that you miss the rest of high school.

I promise you when August of 2017 rolls around and the days until you leave are down to the single digits, you’ll miss it. You may not miss studying for all the math tests or reading 10 books a year for Honors Lit, but you’ll miss the experiences and the people.

These next four years are full of so many amazing opportunities and so many chances for you to meet wonderful people. Don’t get so wrapped up in yourself and where you’re going that you miss out on what is going on around you in the moment.

One thing I ask is for you to cherish every moment. These next four years are going to fly by and you won’t believe it when everyone says the years go by so quickly.

You’ll be in denial as each August rolls around and you’re moving your way up to the top dog of the school.

You're going to experience some of the best times in your life these next approaching four years so don’t let yourself miss the moments. It’s okay to stay in on a Saturday night and binge watch your favorite show on Netflix but don’t let yourself miss these opportunities.

Don’t blink.

-Freshman in college Lauren