Dear freshman girl/boy,

First off, congratulations on deciding to make the jump and attend college.

There are just about three things I feel you should keep in mind over the next few months:

1) You came to college to find yourself. You should not force yourself to be the person you feel your parents want you to be. It is your life.

2) You are not perfect. Nobody is perfect.

3) Learn to make time for yourself.

You're probably looking at those three things above and thinking to yourself, "but I already knew this ... alright." Realistically, everyone has heard these things either once or twice before. But, college is when you really see how important those things are to remember on a daily basis so you don't drive yourself insane (ha, been there, done that).

I'll begin by explaining the first bullet: You came to college to find yourself. You should not force yourself to be the person you feel your parents want you to be. It is your life. This is probably one of the most important things to keep in mind. High school was a time where if you dared to be different, people looked at you like you were from Mars. You have officially moved past that. Now, you are where endless possibilities surround you. Different is cool. I promise you that. If anything, being different will get you further than deciding to blend in with everyone else around you. If you find yourself through art, but your parents have told you the only way to be successful is through declaring a business major, do not listen to them.It is your life. It is known (and I have personally been there as well), if you do not love what you are doing, you will do it half heartedly.

You go ahead and pursue your dream of being an artist, it is your life and your happiness. This life belongs to you. If you are truly passionate about something, do it and do not hold anything back when doing so.

Hmm, what was that second bullet again? Oh yeah, here we go: You are not perfect. Nobody is perfect. THIS. Hello, you are wonderful, including every flaw you may believe you have. That bad grade on your English paper? Good job. You have failed one thing. And that's what makes you human. Perfection is just a figure of imagination. But really, look up "perfect" on Google Images, I'm betting you'll be staring at models who are altered to portray society's imagination of perfect.

Also, during your freshman year you may decide to join Greek Life, clubs, other organizations, etc. and have 18 credit hours on top of all those wonderful involvements. Do you really think anyone in your sorority/fraternity, clubs, organizations, etc. is perfect? No. But do they work hard to receive the grades they earn? Yes. This is where you begin to see that hard work pays off. Not doing what you expected on an assignment is not the end of the world and does not define you, you are not a failure. Actually, grades in general do not define the type of person that you are. They only measure ones ability to follow directions. Remember that, and do not let anyone tell you different.

When was the last time you took time to focus on your happiness? In college this is crucial. Reason why the last and final important thing to keep in mind is: Learn to make time for yourself. It is so easy to become wrapped up in so many other things that you forget your happiness is what matters the most. What exactly do I mean by "learn to make time for yourself?" This can be done by:

-Taking an hour to watch your favorite show

-Go for a run or walk outside

-Do something you haven't done in a while to give you a break from that daily routine

Anything that is not worrying about due dates, what drama is going on between your friends, or trying to make someone else but yourself happy. Put yourself and your happiness first at least two to three times a week, you'd be surprised by the results. It helps. A lot.

Don't just use these three things your freshman year, but for the rest of your life.

I hope you love college as much as I do,

That upper classman who wishes they were a freshman again