Dear bright-eyed, college bound, fresh high school graduate:
You are not ready.
I hate to be the one to tell you, but you are absolutely not ready for college and all that it entails. Yes, I know you've spent the past 13 years of your life forcing yourself back and forth to school in order to be prepared for college. While you may feel ready academically, let me be the one to warn you — college is so much more than just retaining information. Yes, that is the whole purpose of paying an arm and a leg to attend college, to further our educations. However, saying that the academic aspect of college is the biggest adjustment you'll have to make would be a lie. Don't get me wrong, you're going to sit in your small dorm room the third week of classes wondering how it's even humanly possible to prepare for a chemistry test, write a seven page paper, and memorize 72 different Spanish terms in one night (because let's be real, you procrastinated). No, the academics are going to test your limits, but that won't be what throws you for a loop.
You are not ready to be left in a teeny-tiny room with your parent's miles away. I know what you're saying, because I said the exact same thing, "I'm ready to leave this house and get to college where I can be on my own." Well honey let me tell you, it's easier said than done. Trust me on this, that freedom is a lot of fun and all, but there WILL come a point when you miss your mama, and would give anything for a hug from daddy.
You are not ready to have everything you have ever known be questioned. Not only in the classroom but from those around you. Not everyone was raised in a small, southern town. Not everyone sees the world the way you do. Not everyone was taught to respect others' opinions, and you will learn that quick fast and in a hurry. Let me put it to you this way, I go to a small university just 45 minutes from my small, southern town, and I get comments all the time about my "southern accent". Not only that, but I got the strangest looks when I told the story about the time I palpated a cow (those of you that are confused, give that word a Google).
You are not ready for that phone call at 3 a.m. from a friend asking for a ride back from a party. Whether you decide to go out or not, chances are you'll end up playing taxi at some point. Sometimes you're happy to help out, and other times you consider the consequences of murder after waking up at such an ungodly hour.
You are not ready to grow distant from some friends. No matter how many promises you make about "going to see them" or "making plans to meet up", there is going to be at least a little bit of a change in your relationship. You'll quickly realize who's in it for the long run and who you were just friends with because you saw them every day in high school. It's inevitable, but if the friendship is strong enough, you'll work through it. Promise.
You are not ready for a lot of the situations you will be put in. The freedom that comes with college comes with a lot of decisions you have to make. You no longer have to ask your parents before leaving the house, which is something that can lead to a lot of trouble very easily. However, chances are you were raised well, and if your parents were anything like mine, you know good and well what's right and what's wrong. Stay true to yourself and keep a good head on your shoulders.
I could go on and on but I won't. The moral of the story here is you are not ready for college, but honestly, there is no way you ever could be completely ready. We are never truly prepared for what life brings us. Whether it's transitioning from high school to college, beginning a new job, or a variety of other things — life has a way of throwing a curve ball every now and then. We'll never be ready for everything that could possibly happen, but that's what life's about...it's called living.
