An Open Letter to Incoming College Freshmen,

Hi. I don’t know you, and I don’t know exactly how you’re feeling, but I do know that your life is about to change. Whether you’re counting down the minutes until you leave home or the thought of packing up makes you want to cry, I just want you to know that it’ll be OK.

I’m sure you’ve heard by now that college will be the best four years of your life, that independence is life changing, that you’ll make friendships that will last a lifetime… but what they don’t tell you are the little things.

That living in a building with hundreds of your friends is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

That even though cafeteria food is probably one to two stars at most, you can share every meal in five star company.

That snow days are (usually) the most productive days of the year, God’s gift for all of your procrastination.

That you should watch at least two movies on a snow day anyway.

That elevators are prime spots for socialization and making uncomfortable jokes.

That puns will either be loved or hated.

That you should make a lot of puns anyway.

That group chats devoted to group projects will inevitably be dominated by memes.

That you shouldn’t send the same meme more than once.

That midnight isn’t too late to start homework.

That 8 am is too early for a class.

That your motto will quickly become, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”

That you shouldn’t try to get someone’s phone number using a paper airplane in the quiet part of the library.

That you shouldn’t try to get someone’s phone number in the loud part of the library either.

That if you actually want to get homework done you shouldn’t go to the student center.

That midnight snacks will become a reality.

That late night hallway chats with your neighbors that should last 5 minutes will last 50.

That anyone and everyone will gladly accept coffee anywhere at any time.

That there will be ups and downs and the best thing to do is laugh through the crazy.

That it’s mandatory to realize how much of a blessing your education is.

That it’s OK to call school home as long as you still call your house your home too.

That time will go faster than it ever has before.

That you will never count down the days until the end of the school year again.

That you might count down the days until the end of summer.

That all the cliché stuff about college being some of the best years of your life might actually be true.