Dear Freshmen,

When you're getting ready to leave for college, it can be an overwhelming time. Between packing and saying goodbye to your friends, it can make you not want to go.

When you step into that tiny little dorm room with a roommate that you may barely know, 4 years can seem like a very long time. You may easily get the thought throughout your years at school of "dang I'm stuck here for four years" or "wow, I can't wait graduate".

4 years with the same people, the same professors, and the same scenery can get old real fast but when it's time to graduate you're going to wish you could stay forever in the familiarity.

Lemme tell you, four years goes by in the blink of an eye. You only get four years to become the best version of yourself, so make the most of it.

You only get 4 years to discover the ins and outs of your city. You only get 4 years to spend focusing just on school before the real world really kicks in. You get 4 short years to live it up with your friends. You only get 4 years to discover who you really are and what your purpose is. And finally, if you're an athlete, you only get 4 years to sport your school's name across your chest.

In these 4 short years, don't be afraid to make mistakes. You're going to learn a lot in your time about not only yourself, but the entire world around you. Do things that scare you. Step out of your comfort zone, talk to new people, try new hobbies. You only have four years there to do so. Don't be so quick to judge. Everyone there is fighting their own battles. Don't isolate yourself. There's so many people for you to meet that 4 years doesn't seem long enough to do it. Do join that club or go to that meeting for the one thing you've been dying to try but kept making excuses for. You could miss your chance. Don't stress so much. You'll graduate and realize all the time stressing could have been channeled towards something else. Always make time for people. The homework can wait, but friendship cannot. When your friend needs you at 2 am, be there. Don't be so hard on yourself. You're not always going to have it together and you're not always going to know exactly which path to take. That's what the 4 years are for. Do things that make you happy. You don't want to regret not doing something when you had the chance. And finally, always make time for yourself.

Sure, 4 years may seem like a long time now, but trust me, it's not. These 4 years at college go by so fast. So Dear incoming freshmen, you only get 4 years to become who really want to be. Make sure you're a good one.