Hey Girl,

There are so many things that I wish I could have been told about college before I started. Here are five things I think you should know before starting the next four years of your life:

1. GO TO CLASS!!!

This may seem like an easy concept, but it's something that most students have a really hard time with. They think that because they pay the teacher to be there no matter what, it shouldn't matter if they show up or not. The problem is that professors aren't going to care if you show up for class, they'll just fail you. The only person whose time is being wasted when you don't go to class is your own. It's not always easy: there isn't anyone to get you up and out of bed to go to school-- you need to grow up and do that for yourself.

2. Lead Your Own Life

Know that you are worth so much more than the way you let people treat you. No one has the right to tell you how to act or what to say. Don't let people put you down for being yourself. Don't lower yourself to being a follower just because you want to fit in. You decide your own path in life.

3. Balance Your Life

You need to focus on school but you also need to interact with people. Human beings need social interaction: it's the way we are. Just remember that there is plenty of time to hangout and party with your friends after school is said and done. Balance is honestly the key to any successful college career.

4. Choose Your Friends Wisely

The first people you meet at college who latch onto you immediately are not going to be there forever. They are not going to stick around once they become more comfortable in their environment because you're all going to realize that the only thing you had in common was that you were all scared to be on your own. The friends you meet who love you, support you and genuinely believe in you are the people that you need to surround yourself with. It's going to take you a few years to find those people, but when you do, never let them go.

5. Grow Up

Leave all the high school drama in high school. There are going to be plenty of opportunities for you to become involved in drama around campus-- especially if you're going to a small school where everyone knows everything about everyone. There are going to be people who are obviously perpetually stuck in high school, but you need to be the adult and the bigger person and stay away from those people. It may not make you the most popular person on campus but it will keep a high level of stress out of you life in the long run.

Think about it.

Sincerely,

A Wiser Version of You