Are you ready to...

Feel excited?

Be surrounded by people who are eager to make friends?

Ask a million questions?

Move away from home and take a chance?

Ready or not, the beginning of the school year is here, and that means that if you're entering college for the first time, you are about to experience one of the most life-changing years of your life. It’s the first year in which you have complete freedom to do whatever you want. Gone are the days that you had a curfew, were told where you could and couldn't go, and were closely watched by your parents. However, along with this comes no more home-cooked meals, and talks with mom after school.

In a lot of ways, freshman year is bittersweet. I remember being so excited to leave home. I couldn’t wait to take on an unfamiliar place, make new friends and enjoy the college life style. My first semester of college was filled with excitement, nervousness, and a lot of questions. If you are an incoming freshman, then these questions will soon become very familiar to you; and if you're returning to college for your second, third, or fourth year it probably seems like yesterday that you once asked yourself these questions.

1. Does anybody else feel as lost as I do? | As a freshman, you will have no idea where your classes are, how to turn the people you have met into friends, and how to keep up with your classes. Remember that you are not alone in feeling this way. All freshmen, no matter what university they attend, are experiencing the same things.

2. How am I going to live in such a small room? | It’s an adjustment trading in your own room for a tiny space with a roommate. However, you’ll be surprised how quickly your dorm room starts to feel like home, and how reluctant you'll be to leave it at the end of the year.

3. Should I start working out? | In college, you transition from having your parents prepare your meals, to having unlimited dining hall food available at all hours of the day. Also, there will be an unbelievable amount of pizza parties your first semester. Even if you didn’t work out much in high school, it's easy to gain a few pounds in college, and you’ll find yourself asking this question.

4. Did we just become best friends? | During your first semester there will be a moment, or possibly several moments, in which you finally find somebody that you connect with. Trust me, it makes all of the awkward orientation activities worth it.

5. Why do I miss home so much? | After all, didn’t I spend all summer wishing that I was at college? Despite my eagerness to start college, I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss my parents, and wish I was at home a lot of my first semester. However, this is OKAY. In fact, it would be weird if you didn’t miss the people you spent the last 18 years with. So call home when you feel homesick, FaceTime your high school friends, and let yourself cry. Eventually, you will get used to school and not miss home as much.

6. Should I join a frat or a sorority? | As a freshman, you will go searching for a friend group at school. Thousands of college students find themselves asking this question. Maybe you’ve known your whole life that you would rush or maybe the thought is new to you. No matter what you decide, find friends that will be there for all of college's good and bad moments.

7. Do I need to study? | Can I keep the same study habits in college and get the same grades? Maybe. However, the work load is much more intense in college, and grades matter a lot more. You will find that you will spend a lot more time studying than you did in high school.

8. Should I transfer? | While you are getting used to college, it can be easy to assume that you picked the wrong school. However, college is so much more than declaring a major and attending classes. People love college because of the who they meet. Instead of thinking about transferring, think about joining organizations to meet more people. Once you meet "your people" you'll reconsider transferring.

9. Should I go out every day? | For the first time in your life, you will have the option of going out as much as you want. While I wouldn’t recommend going out every day, definitely go out on weekends and enjoy these moments. Freshman year goes by so fast, and some of my best memories are with my friends on the weekends.

10. Why do I drink so much more coffee than I used to? | The answer is probably because you're exhausted, have four finals, and are working a part-time job. Therefore, you may find yourself at the local coffee shop several times each day. You'll learn quickly that caffeine is a college student's best friend.

While freshman year is filled with lots of questions, I can assure you that with time you will find the answers to each one. On my last day of freshman year, I cried on my way home. However, for the first time I wasn’t crying because I was home sick; I was crying because I had met incredible people, had fallen in love with campus, and truly felt that Marquette was my home.

For all of you entering the class of 2019 this year, I hope that you make the most of your freshman year. Before you know it you'll be looking back at your freshman days. So take chances, meet as many people as you can, and enjoy each moment. If you give your first semester a chance, I bet you'll find that you can't imagine yourself at any other place. Best of luck class of 2019!