To all of the people who just graduated high school,

YOU DID IT.

YOU SURVIVED.

YOU CAN BREATHE NOW.

Whether you had the best four years of your life in high school (hey for some people it's possible), or you were like me and wanted to peace out of town as soon as you got your diploma because that was NOT the case for your time in high school, let me tell you something.

College is a WHOLE DIFFERENT BALLGAME. AND IT'S A GOOD BALL GAME.

There are so many things about college and about the time of life you're stepping into that I wish I could tell you about, but I'm going to share with you recently graduated high school seniors just five things I've learned about life in just the past four years, because if I were to tell you everything I wanted to, I could probably write four whole novels.

So, here goes.

1. You DO NOT have to know where you're going to be in the next 5 years. You don't even have to know where you're going to be in 1 year, or 1 month for that matter.

TRUST ME. I've been in what we've typically come to expect as the college stage/age of life for 4 years. Our society has convinced itself that those who do not have a '#-year-plan' or aren't anticipating their future are either lazy, lack ambition, are unmotivated, or whatever else. Newsflash for ya. The only pressure that you feel is the pressure society and other people try to put on you, and you do not have to receive it. Take it from me, someone who put pressure on herself to live up to other people's expectations of me and the high expectations I put on myself, trying to do that 100% of the time is EXHAUSTING, and will probably lead you to an unhappy, agitated, frustrated, and annoyed outlook on life because you're not able to just LIVE and BE in your life.

So, my advice is to give yourself GRACE.

Grace to make mistakes, for not knowing the answers, for not being or acting how people expect you to, and grace to grow and live and be and do.

YOU HAVE SO MUCH TIME to figure out what you want to do with your life! So don't rush through things or think you're limited in your options for your future. It's possible that the job you want to do in the future hasn't even been invented yet!

2. Being friends with people takes WORK.

One of my closest friends is literally the complete opposite of me. I'm not kidding. We laugh at it now, especially considering a mutual friend of ours said that my close friend and I talk to each other like a bickering old married couple sometimes. But when my friend and I first met, I was not sure we would be friends, but I am so thankful to God that we are. I have been challenged and encouraged, uplifted and supported, prayed for and fought for, and lived real and authentic life with this friend of mine, and I can not thank God enough for their friendship.

But this friendship took intentionality. It took WORK. It took me being willing to set my differences aside, choose to try to see this person as Jesus does, and enter into conversations with them on topics I knew that we'd mutually benefit from discussing. Not only that, but I also get to learn from this dear friend of mine in more ways than I ever thought possible, and it was because of our mutual desire to seek out Jesus and His heart, to pursue His Kingdom purposes, and to grow individually as well as communally that strengthened our friendship.

But believe me when I say it wasn't all easy. Like I said, we're practically the exact opposite of each other, and I personally contribute the fact that we're friends to God and His funny sense of humor, knowing that I would benefit from hearing the views of someone who experiences God differently than I do, who thinks about and sees the world differently than I do, and who has walked with Jesus differently than I have.

So, my advice is to intentionally seek out relationships with people who are different from you, AND STICK TO IT, even if/most likely when the relationship gets strained or rocky. Now I am NOT saying that you should stay in a toxic relationship. What I am saying is that don't let the ways other people are different from you define what you think about that person. Who knows? Someone you were not expecting to be friends with could become one of your closest friends. It happened to me.

3. PICK THE PROFESSOR, NOT THE COURSE.

I will swear by this. This is one of THE BEST things you could do for yourself if you're going to college right after high school. It literally does not matter what school you're going to, whether it's a community college, technical college, 4-year university, wherever - the professor is what MAKES the course, not whether or not your friends are taking the same course section at the same.

Of course, having your friends in a class with you is a bonus, but if you all take a course together where your professor is a snobby jerk who gives out ridiculous assignments and never actually tests you on the materials you covered in lecture, or doesn't show up to lecture, or says one thing will be on the test then chooses to put something else on the test and doesn't tell you... you get the point.

So, my advice is to do legitimate research on the professors in each of the departments. Figure out who teaches what class and find out how other students rated them. Be OBJECTIVE when reading reviews, and don't just go off of the first review you see. You never know if the review you're reading was left by that one student who had an entitlement-complex and was mad because the professor (GASP!) actually expected them to work, do things on their own, and study the material provided.

4. Know what to prioritize.

I don't think I could say this enough to people in general. Prioritizing is so important because you are able to devote time to the things in your life that fall into three categories - HAVE, NEED, and WANT.

Example — I HAVE to SLEEP because my body NEEDS sleep, and if I don't meet this NEED for sleep then I can't do what I WANT to do.

Example — I NEED to study to do well on this exam I have in 3 weeks, but I don't HAVE to study for it right this minute because there is something due much sooner than the test, so I should get the other thing done first.

Also, here's a list of things I think EVERY person should absolutely prioritize in their college years.

- A HEALTHY AMOUNT OF SLEEP (I'm not kidding, y'all, this is a biggie)
- Exercising
- Regular eating habits
- Personal breaks
- Your mental health
- Community
- Getting out of your comfort zone
- Blocking off times to study AND times to rest
- Taking care of YOU

You get the idea, or at least I hope you do anyway.

So, my advice is to try learning how to do this with your time and commitments NOW and not AFTER you've overwhelmed your capacity and start to crash and burn, like me last fall (whoops). Had I known how to do this better, and that recognizing and taking care of my personal needs is one of the most healthy things to do for your life, I would have been much better off. So, learn how to prioritize, remember that taking care of you is not a selfish thing,

5. People literally don't care what you wear to school or out in public, just as long as you're wearing clothes!

Seriously. No one cares! I fully admit that I've shown up to class in my pajamas before and I feel no shame about it whatsoever. your clothes don't define you, your hair doesn't define you, what you do or don't do doesn't define you. God defines you. Period. So let that be what guides you instead of what ridiculous new clothing trend is trying to grab your attention through Instagram.

So, my advice is don't let the opinions of other people determine how you feel about yourself, how you see yourself, and what you believe about yourself. As long as you feel confident, comfortable, beautiful, and know that you are deeply loved by God, then that is what matters.

* * *

I really could go on and on and on, but for the sake of space and time, I'll stop here.

So, future college freshmen, I'm excited for you and I look forward to what you'll bring to the world.