Dear Incoming College Freshmen,

You should be proud to have made it this far. Use this summer in between your last year of high school and your first year of college to earn some money, spend time with your loved ones, and soak up all your dependency before it is time to leave. I am sure your first year will be filled with tons of fun and excitement. You will make tons of new friends and get to go through many new experiences. There are so many opportunities out there and you may not be able to try them all, but definitely try to experience as many as you can. Work hard. Stay focused on your studies and hit the books hard, because freshmen year sets the basis for your next three years. Create study time for yourself alone and with others.

Make sure to get rest. Some days it might be harder than others to get sleep, but you should still try. With working hard, a good balance comes when you play hard too. Experience college parties and hangouts. Find some friends you trust to go out and explore the city you are in with. When you are making friends never force any friendships. If you are scared that you will not find any friends you like, do not worry because there are so many cool and interesting people from all over the map and you are bound to meet at least two people that you will grow close to and make connections with. The best thing to do is remain calm and be yourself. Take this time to figure out what you want to do, who you want to be, and where you want to go.

Do not get distracted! Along with all the great opportunities and experiences comes so many distractions. As freshmen we get excited being on our own for the first time away from home without our parents breathing down our necks. This is also the time where making the right decisions come into affect. Everyone is not your friend. Every party will not be fun. There will be those days you will not want to get out of your warm comfortable bed for class. Teachers will cancel a class 3 minutes before it starts. Some teachers will never show up and will waste ten to fifteen minutes of your time that could have been used to complete something else or be somewhere else. Some days the cafeteria will not have anything you like and you will be forced to choose something just so that you will have ate. The list goes on and on, but do not let any of these things discourage you. They are just experiences that are a part of life. Try to just enjoy your college experience as much as you can and as positive as you can. Be on the lookout for situations that can turn negative and land you in trouble or cause permanent damage. Surround yourself with positive, like-minded people that have the same interests and intentions as you.

Freshman year of college is a great experience and I encourage you to have fun and be safe. We are living in a crazy world with a bunch of crazy people. Travel in numbers during the day and at night. Leaving home causes your responsibility level to go up. Now you are taking care of yourself without your parents around to clean for you, pick up behind you, cook for you, etc. Unless you are going to school close to home. College is an eye opener, but I loved my freshman year and I know you will too. Just remember to stay true to yourself, stay focused on your schoolwork, and have fun in the process. Do not sweat your first year of college because as long as it is positive it will be great. Good luck and I wish you the best!

Sincerely,

April