I wish that I could sit back and say that college will be everything you have been hoping for. I wish that I could say that the parties will always be worth it, and you will leave college saying they were the best years of your life.

Yes, we don't have "grown-up" bills usually in college. You know, the mortgage, the property taxes and all of the other bills that will show up later on in life. You get to use the excuse of "I'm in college" when drunken stories are the topic of conversation, or why you slept until 3 p.m., or why you ate a whole pizza yourself. We live in this society that makes it seem like you must get so many things out of your system and live your life while you are young because you cannot when you get into your career.

So Dear Freshmen,

This is your year to figure out who you are. Be selfish. Embrace being the youngest ones on campus. Eat the dessert. Work out. Go on long walks with people. Go on long walks alone. Get to know the deepest parts of the people around you. Cry the tears. Fail the exam. Pull an all-nighter. Go to the party. Read a good book. Watch a show on Netflix. Go hiking. Travel. Take risks. Save some money, and then spend it all on something you've been wanting for quite some time. Be responsible, be bold, be you and live your life.

Dear freshmen, college will be over before you know it, so don't waste it. You'll blink, and you will realize that you spent too many minutes on napping instead of building relationships. Sitting in front of a screen instead of hiking the trails. Studying too much instead of fostering friendships. Partying too much instead of going to class and succeeding with schoolwork. Find your happy medium when it comes to how you spend your time.

Dear freshmen, wear your lanyard around your neck if you want everyone to know that you are new to campus. Walk quickly to class or get out of the way. We don't all have the luxury of time between classes. Know your limits when it comes to the amount of alcohol you drink. It shouldn't be about how much you drink or how drunk you can get but rather the fun that you had with your friends. Try to remember your nights as often as you can. If you want to dress up, do it. If you want to wear your pajamas, do it. No one cares about what you wear, listen to, believe in, etc. Take the time to be a friend to others. The lack of sleep is worth the relationships that you will build. Subway pizza is the best at 1 a.m. Take as many free things as you can. Get to know your professors and go to office hours.

Dear ISU Freshmen, Hovey is pronounced Hu-Vey. Schroeder is pronounced Shray-der. Get involved. Go to Festival ISU. Get to know your RAs; they have a lot of responsibilities that you may not even be aware of. They truly want what is best for you.

Remember that you are in college in order to learn. So learn as much as you can. Not only should you learn about your major, but learn about the people around you. The people dreaming to do the same as you, and the people who couldn't imagine choosing the path you are. Learn about the cultures around you and the cultures that you are not comfortable with. Make friends. Friends that will push you to live the best version of yourself and push you to achieve everything you set your mind to. Learn about who you are completely and show that person to the world, without fear of acceptance. Don't allow this society that we live in to shame you for being that college kid. Make mistakes and learn from them. Social skills, your love life, your academics, your culture, your friends, your job(s), the organizations that you join. Engulf yourself in them and live your life the way you want to. College will push you in ways that you never imagined. Sometimes it will be absolutely terrible, but you will grow so much. Take each trial as a lesson and choose to learn from it. Love with your whole heart, and immerse yourself into the craziness that college is. These might not be the best four years of your life, but they will be the most monumental.