Dear freshmen, have you ever heard that high school was going to be the best four years of your life? Well, whoever said that was a nut because it's college that will be the best four, five or seven years of your life. Why? Because of all the new experiences as an adult that you get to face. There will be a lot of good memories and lessons, but you also got to prepare yourself for the not-so-good challenges that comes your way. Since this is the beginning of the school year, you have some time to get to know yourself, others around you, and new things.

Join a club! Or anything! But join something that will get you to meet new people. It's also a fantastic way to establish connections for the future, which will come in handy when building your actual adult resume. You'll also have a lot of fun if the club is something you like to do. So wipe those tears, get out of your dorm and join an organization!

Utilize that meal plan! Living is expensive. Walmart can be expensive. The meal plan is there! There are even healthy alternatives all around (and it'll help with fighting the freshman 15).

Life will get hard, and that's okay. Homework will start piling up, you will start to miss home, and you don't want to eat Chick-Fil-A for the 12th day in a row. That's all okay. There are people in your shoes that are going through the same thing. Lean on each other. Call your mom. Try your hardest, because in the long run, it'll be worth it.

Do. Not. Skip. Class. Because you will fall into a habit of not going and next thing you know you have 10 absences and your grade is a low D. Take it from a senior who has done that before. It's not fun, and you're essentially wasting money. Some teachers give extra points for not missing a class, which that could be helpful if it's a hard class and you need those extra points.

Study! Even if Netflix is telling you no, be the strong one in the relationship! A lot of you never had to study in high school, and with how cool that was and all, that doesn't slide in college. Notecards are awesome, and also taking good notes in class (which you should be in).

Give college time. You may hate it at first. You may hate the town at first. You may hate the school colors. But if you give it time, then maybe you'll end up falling in love with the school, the town, the people and even the on campus dining. Some great things just needs getting used to.

Make time for yourself and your friends. It's okay to go out with friends or have a relaxing night not doing homework. College is for learning, but it would be so boring if we didn't have at least a little bit of fun. Go out to football games, be part of that atmosphere. Go out with friends and learn how to dance. Get a bath bomb and sparkling grape juice (and no getting alcohol from an older friend, you can wait) and watch Netflix.

You will learn so much about yourself in college more than you'll realize. Your views may change, your major may change, your style, your friends, your relationships, etc. It's part of growing up. College is not the same as high school whatsoever. No one cares if you were the popular person or if you were the super nerdy one. Everyone is different and college is the perfect time to embrace it. Your mind will expand academically and socially, and when all of the sudden you're about to graduate college, you will look back and think about those changes from when you were a freshman. These next four years will be the best (and worst) of your life. Make the absolute best of them. Don't take any day for granted. Be the new leaders of the future. Have a good freshman year. And don't skip class. Ever.