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If You're Reading This...

You must have a reason for it.

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If You're Reading This...
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If you are reading this, there are a few things you should know. Some of them I will tell you, but some of them you should tell yourself. Or at least hopefully you will be able to tell yourself. If you are reading this, what are your expectations for life? What are your predictions? Most of us make lists and guesses and hopes for the future, but at the end of the day we never can know for sure what will happen. If you are reading this, it is hard to say what you will do next, but I like to think that is what makes life all the more exciting.

If you are reading this:

1. You can read.

Or maybe someone is reading it to you. Either way, you had the patience to take it all in. Bravo.

2. You have access to the Internet.

Or you know someone who does. Or you have ways that the rest of us have yet to discover.

3. You speak English.

Or you got a translator. Or people are translating this article. If that's the case, this stuff sure does get around.

But why are you letting me tell you about yourself? You have lived every day of your life with yourself. Put an end to this. But you probably won't. You'll probably keep reading.

4. That's what I thought.

Sometimes we fall into the trap of believing that our lives are set in stone. Life is merely a series of to-do boxes and checklists. Once the checklist is composed, it cannot be rewritten. We let other people tell us who we are, and whether or not we are any of those things, we come to believe them. You believed me. Who else do you believe?

If you're reading this:

5. The Royal Wedding already happened.

I can only hope it was as wonderful as all the pre-wedding specials are telling me it is going to be.

6. You're closer to next year than I am.

Cheers to the new year.

7. You could tell me the weather of my tomorrow and your last week.

All I can depend on right now is the Weather Channel, so your accuracy is obviously going to win.

8. I cannot predict the state of the world.

Maybe it will be exactly the same. Maybe it will be completely different.

If I cannot make many more accurate predictions beyond those I have already made, who is to say how your life will end up or what choices you will make? There are a million different paths in front of you waiting to be chosen, a million different possibilities. Life could turn out any number of ways; one choice could make it better, another could make it worse. But life is not full of single decisions that decide our fate. We make countless decisions everyday. Let each decision influence the next and do not get trapped in the past. Do not dwell on the person who is writing this article and the world in which she lives. Focus on the person who is reading this, and the person who will read it tomorrow.

9. You get to decide what kind of life you will live.

10. Prove us all wrong.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Blair Waldorf Quote
"DESTINY IS FOR LOSERS. IT'S JUST A STUPID EXCUSE TO WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM HAPPEN." - BLAIR WALDORF.

The world stopped in 2012 when our beloved show "Gossip Girl" ended. For six straight years, we would all tune in every Monday at 9:00 p.m. to see Upper Eastside royalty in the form of a Burberry headband clad Blair Waldorf. Blair was the big sister that we all loved to hate. How could we ever forget the epic showdowns between her and her frenemy Serena Van Der Woodsen? Or the time she banished Georgina Sparks to a Christian summer camp? How about that time when she and her girls took down Bart Bass? Blair is life. She's taught us how to dress, how to be ambitious, and most importantly, how to throw the perfect shade.

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11 Moments Every College Freshman Has Experienced

Because we made it, and because high school seniors deserve to know what they're getting themselves into

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too tired to care

We've all been there. From move-in day to the first finals week in college, your first term is an adventure from start to finish. In honor of college decisions coming out recently, I want to recap some of the most common experiences college freshmen experience.

1. The awkward hellos on move-in day.

You're moving your stuff onto your floor, and you will encounter people you don't know yet in the hallway. They live on your floor, so you'll awkwardly smile and maybe introduce yourself. As you walk away, you will wonder if they will ever speak to you again, but don't worry, there's a good chance that you will make some great friends on your floor!

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The college years are a time for personal growth and success. Everyone comes in with expectations about how their life is supposed to turn out and envision the future. We all freak out when things don't go exactly as planned or when our expectations are unmet. As time goes on, we realize that the uncertainty of college is what makes it great. Here are some helpful reminders about life in college.

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rowanuniversitypublications / Flickr

1. "If I'm wearing black tomorrow, it's because I'm mourning my grade."

2. "Do you want to try ordering Chinese takeout to take back to the stacks?"

3. "This final paper has me questioning if this professor just sucks or is Satan himself."

4. "Is that person over there OK? They've been sleeping for a while."

5. "Why are you online shopping?"

"I want to motivate myself to study."

"Since when do you have money to buy something anyway?"

6. "I wonder how much I could make as a stripper."

7. "There are no stress relief dogs, and I feel conned. My stress today is worse than yesterday."

8. "Rate My Professor screwed me over."

9. "I wore these clothes yesterday, and maybe even the day before, but it's fine."

10. "I wonder if I could sneak a beer in here."

11. "I just really want chocolate chip cookies."

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Sophia Palmerine

Dear High School Friend Group,

My sweet angels, where would I be without you guys. We all grew up together because we either met in middle school or high school and watched each other grow up and get "old." We got to go to prom together and then graduate together. Then watched each other as we continued our lives in college, joining sororities and meeting people who will impact our lives forever. It all has happened so fast.

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