Congratulations, you have made it to the day you have been dreaming about. You are now a high school graduate and off to college. You seem to be packing up your life - leaving the place and people you love the most behind. Although we all know we can get annoyed with our families, you will miss them when you go to school. Take time to have a family dinner, go to a movie with them and just soak up every minute you have with them because those are the memories you will cherish most once you move in. And don't forget to stay in contact with your parents. Give them a call, send them pictures and stay in touch with them. When you have time one weekend go home and visit if you can - because although you may not miss them too much, they will miss you more.

The next thing you will miss will be your friends. You may be leaving friends that you have had for countless years and you will miss them tremendously. So take this summer to go on adventures with them, and enjoy the moments you have with them. Laugh with them, cry with them and hug them real tight and tell them that you will see them soon. Although soon may be a couple of months, keep in touch with them, go visit them, set up FaceTime dates and send them letters. Keep pictures of them in your room and count down the days till you get to see them.

When you get to school, make new friends but like the Girl Scout song says, keep the old. Don't be afraid to make new friends. Go out of your way to make new friends. Say hi to those on your floor, learn their names and their stories. Who knows, some of those people may end up becoming some of your best friends. Don't just meet all the people on your floor, take the time to join a club or two.

Get involved on campus, find a club or greek organization where you feel you have a home away from home. Find something that you are interested in and enjoy every second of it. Some of the people you find in those clubs will also become some of your best friends. They will create a sense of family that you never thought was possible, but it is.

School will be tough, that is for sure. You will feel overwhelmed and probably want to cry, and it's OK to cry because everyone feels the same way. Although it is tough, try to manage your school work and social life (sometimes you can even combine them). Who said studying can't be fun if you are doing it with friends? And yes, sometimes you won't want to study - but hey, you will learn your lesson from your grade and it's fine. Sometimes in college, it's hard to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel seems to be filled with homework, papers, tests, quizzes and projects. You just have to keep trucking and you will get to the end and when you do a weight will be lifted on your shoulders. And when you have reached that end of that tunnel don't forget to smile because that means you have finished your first semester of college and you are more than prepared for the rest of the years.

Good luck and enjoy it!

P.S. Do not be afraid to let coffee become your best friend.