Dear Seniors,

I hope you're enjoying your time at the top of the school, because everything will soon change. In a year, you will be freshman again, which I'm sure we can all agree, isn't the best. But don't worry, being a freshman in college is a lot different than being a freshman in high school. Here, upperclassmen don't pick on you, because people are a little more mature in college.

Quite frankly, I always knew that I would go to college some day, but I never really expected the day to come so fast. Moving will be one of the most overwhelming experiences of your life. Basically, you have six plus people and all of your belongings being thrown into a really small room, all at once. My tip is to not over pack. However, you can fit a lot more into a dorm room than you might think!

Also, find a roommate that matches your personality. The roommate search process is really stressful. How am I supposed to find a person that I can tolerate sharing a small living space with for a whole year?! A lot of people choose random roommates, and for some, that works! But I chose to pick my roommate based on a match survey, and she's amazing! Maybe it helps that we live together, but she's by far the best friend that I've made on campus. It's also a great idea to get to know the people on your floor and in your hall. On the second night, my roommate and I invited our neighbors to Qdoba with us, and now we hang out all of the time! Pretty much every night, we have a room full of girls laughing and having a blast.

My biggest piece of advice is something that not a lot of people really tell you or talk about. Going away to college is really hard. It is by far one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. The first few days were the hardest. Homesickness hit me like a train, and it happened so fast. It sucks. However, once the whirlwind of orientation started, I began to meet new people, and it became so much easier. So, don't give up. I so badly wanted to just go home, and go to another college that wasn't four hours away. Eventually, I decided that this is where I am supposed to be, and it's an adventure that I have to take, because it's worth it. Now, I still get homesick every once in a while, but as soon as I start hanging out with my friends or going to events, it starts to go away.

College is awkward. You have to meet totally new people, step out of your comfort zone, and talk to strangers. I was pretty shy in high school, but the good thing about going away to a college where you know no one is that nobody knows how you used to be. You can be whoever you want! It's definitely a lot easier to go up to a random person and talk to them, because everyone is in the same boat as you.

Sooner than you think, you'll be headed off to college. So, take advantage of every second with your friends and family. If anything, going off to college has helped strengthen my friendships, because my friends are the ones who text me about my classes, Face-time me about their weekends, and make be feel 100 percent better when I'm super homesick. Of course, I miss my friends and family, but just thinking about the adventure ahead of me these next four years makes me super excited. Cherish all of your moments, and have an incredible senior year!

Sincerely,

a college freshman