If you were to flip open a 2015 dictionary and look up the phrase "hot mess," you could find my name, Leah Hunt, listed as an example, because during my senior year of high school that's literally all I was--a stressed ball of nerves and anxiety.

This time last year, the end of my first semester as a senior was quickly approaching, and I still had no idea where I was going to college after I walked across the stage in June. I was confused and anxious and nothing felt like it was working out for me. That was, of course, until it all did.

For that high school senior who's standing in the same shoes I was, let me try to put at least a little bit of your uneasiness to rest, because believe me when I say, I've definitely been there:

1. Before you do ANYTHING, make sure every school you're looking at has your program or prospective major.

There's no point in falling in love with a school if they don't have your major. There's a lot more to college than just academics, but getting a degree is still the main reason you're there. Even if you're walking in as an undeclared (which is totally fine and 100% acceptable, lots of people do this), you still want to make sure that the fields you might even be slightly considering are provided by your potential future school.

2. Disclaimer: College costs $$$

It's just a known fact that life can be cruel and unfair, and, oh yeah--hella expensive. Whether it's you or your parents who's paying the tuition bill, college is an incredibly pricy endeavor. While it's definitely doable, you don't want to get in over your head in debt, and you also don't want to put anyone else who's helping you out with the cost to be put in a bad financial position just because you didn't look closely enough at how much money you'll have to cough up to pay for your classes. Look at the average cost of tuition BEFORE you apply, and decide whether this is a feasible cost for you to take on, even after scholarships have been applied.

If you're sweating over it, get a job early second semester senior year and work your butt off through the summer until you have to leave in August. Most universities also have many on-campus jobs that you can apply for in the summer and keep all fall semester long, so be on the lookout for those, too.

3. Don't be scared to go outside of your comfort zone

By the end of your senior year you're going to find yourself in a catch 22. You're going to be beyond ready to get out of your hometown, but you're also not going to be quite ready to leave it yet. Here's a shocking truth: you're never going to be ready to leave your hometown. There's a comfort and familiarity there that nothing could ever compete with, but let me tell you, it is so, so important to branch out while you can. It's one of those things where if you don't just go ahead and do it, you never will, and you don't want to end up regretting that decision.

Even if you don't do this your first year after high school, it is so imperative you get out while you're young and still have a sense of adventure. College is a time of finding yourself and becoming more of who you really are, and it's so hard to do this if you're constantly surrounded by the environment and people that you've always grown up with. Don't be afraid to apply to schools a couple of hours away, or even out of state, if it won't hurt your wallet too much.

4. Be realistic with your distance from home

That being said, being a million miles from home isn't exactly the way to go, either. You WILL get homesick your first couple months at college, and you'll find yourself grateful if you live close enough to where you can drive home on the weekends. Everyone's scale of "far" is different depending on the person, but for me, anything five or more hours away was too much. For others, being able to get home within a day (7-9 hours away) was perfectly fine. Before you decide to up and move cross country, make sure this is something that you know you will be able to do and deal with, once you're there.

5. Go visit the school and make an ACTUAL appointment with their liaisons

You're not going to get a real vibe from the school by looking at pictures on the internet. You can stalk all you want, but to see if you're actually comfortable there, a scheduled visit is pretty necessary. The liaisons at each university are extremely helpful and know a lot about their school, and they genuinely want you to be there, so don't hesitate in making an appointment for a tour, or asking the guides questions while you're there! They show you far more than if you just drove up and awkwardly walked around with your mom or dad by yourselves.

Even with first semester almost over, YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO VISIT!!!!!!! Don't think that just because it's December you don't still have time to keep visiting schools. I didn't even find or tour my college until February of my senior year.

6. You've still got time

... For tours, for applying to other schools, for applying for more scholarships- everything. It's not the end of the world if you don't know what you're doing yet, or even if it's springtime and you still don't know where you're going. Don't limit yourself and don't give up; this is a very big decision to make, and it's not supposed to be easy.

7. Don't follow the crowd

College is a life event and chapter that everyone flips back to for remembrance of funny stories, good times, and memories of young adulthood and coming of age. It's a pivotal time in your life where you're figuring out who you are and what you want, and the kind of people you want to be like or be around long after you've graduated. Deciding where you should go is something that you have to be 100% selfish about, because this is YOUR life, and YOU are the one who has to live it and live with any choices or opportunities you do or don't make.

Don't follow your high school friends if they're going somewhere you can't picture yourself at. Don't stay home if you know you need to get away. I didn't know a soul when I came to college, but I ended up at the best possible place for me, and I have absolutely zero regrets about my decision.

Go out, find yourself, and RELAX, because everything will eventually unfold and you'll find that it all really does work out.