Hello my sleep-deprived, stressed out and simultaneously energized friend —

I am writing to you in the most candid of ways, in a manner that will convey how I truly felt and how you most likely will feel in regards to your time spent at college, both of which are subject to change based on the time, place and scenario. Either way, take a few minutes from your studies (which I know is not hard to do) and read this.

The four years of your undergrad career, though thought of as long and hard, were the best four years of my life (thus far). With those best years came heartbreak, loss and pain, yet I look back and regret the chances I did not take - the classes I "saved" for later, the acquaintances I did not reach out to more, which resulted in missed friendships and the days I swore I would not miss my university, to which I denied myself the prior happiness it provided to me.

The truth of the matter is that I miss my university dearly. My graduation this past May, complete with a full-time job and the prospect of grad school on the horizon, has left me feeling desolate at times.

I miss move-in day, I miss the first meal back in the dining hall (no matter how much I would whine about eating cereal for dinner later), I miss having my own space in my dorm room and, ultimately, I miss the comfort of being surrounded by a group of individuals — in my case, mostly women — (push for you to check out Notre Dame of Maryland University) who cared about me more than I cared about myself.

At times, these women were stronger than me; they saw potential in my faults, power in my pain and perseverance in my tears. Things that I could not see and often would not like to seek out. Their love came from unlikely bonds, as I made friends with those considered to be a conflicts of interest: those who were much older than me, as well as staff and younger students who were my residents — as I was a Resident Assistant. Those friendships, no matter how they came to be, would last the tests of time; they would move past Incident Reports and violations of policy, for respect was the underlying component.

Respect would falter when arguments would come into view, yet those same friends you thought you lost freshmen year would appear again when you were at your lowest; whether that be when a late night in the library turned into an early morning or through social media, they reappeared to show that their bond with you did not end because of sour words. That same bond will shine through when an old friend of yours sees you at Commencement and you look at each other to exclaim how the two of you had done it, you had graduated.

That love and care is not everywhere. There is no other place where you will find people who genuinely understand you, who get where you are coming from despite your differences. These individuals have just left their home — whether they are a resident or not — and left behind the comfort they first knew. Take hold of their love, take hold of the memories, be that friend who has the outrageously long Snapchat story, filled with funny pictures and videos. You will not regret being scowled at when you find them later.

Be that friend who has to schedule time in with friends, like at dinner where daily catch up sessions occur. Apply for the job or internship you think you have not met the qualifications for because in the end, those that you do not apply for will haunt you for the rest of your time here on Earth — yes, that sounds dramatic but you truly never know what could be.

Let your parents visit. Even when your room is a mess and you have not finished your homework. There is nothing greater then seeing them when you are at your lowest and those times spent together will play back in your head, over and over when times get tough.

Take the class and the professor you have heard horror stories about. You will find that these challenging courses bring the best pay-off and those stone-cold professors could become your favorite.

Speak up when no one else will. Be that person who questions what is happening in math class, be the friend who stands up for others and be the citizen who proclaims their own rights. You will become a force to be reckoned with.

And lastly, do your best to love yourself. As I said before, you will find those who care about you dearly and pick you up when you are down (just like those pictured above) but, in the end, the love you crave and desire comes from within.You will spend these four years (more or less) as your biggest ally and your most trusted confidant. Take this time and make it count.