You don't know this, but you're about to start the most amazing chapter of your life. You've probably heard this a million times but I am going to elaborate on why you're being told this and how you can prepare yourself. These are a few things I wish I would have taken more seriously when people told me about college and what it entails.

This is where you all of a sudden have so much freedom to be yourself, do what you want, and go where you want to go. A lot of students walk into freshman year of college feeling like they need to know exactly what they want to do for the rest of their life. Coming from an undecided student, I am here to inform you that you have plenty of time to figure it out. College is a time for you to explore your options and figure it out at your own pace. Granted, some people do actually know what they want to do. Props to them! Regardless, you're going to learn so much about yourself and the crazy world we live in. Just remember to always strive to be the best version of yourself!

You have no idea how much you have ahead of you. Even in just your first year. A lot will happen. You'll make friends, lose friends, go on adventures, do crazy things, and maybe even meet the person you're going to marry! If there is one thing I can say about all of this, it's that you should approach college with an open mind. You're not going to be surrounded by the same people everyday like you were in high school. You're going to get a taste of what the real world is like. Learn from it!! You'll meet amazing people and expose yourself to so many new things. Getting involved really helps with making new connections. These days it's all about who you know. Networking can take you very far in life so take advantage of it!

Of course, the part we all dread, the coursework. Yeah, it's your first year of college so have fun! But don't forget about why you're really there. First of all, someone is paying for you to get an education and college isn't cheap so go to class! Second, a lot of people, including myself, assumed college would be very similar to high school. I am warning you now. It's not. Study hard so that you can start college off with a decent GPA. This will help you in the long run when you need some cushion while you're taking more difficult classes. Start off strong so you don't have to spend the rest of college digging yourself out of a hole that you put yourself in during your first semester of college, taking easy courses.

Hopefully this gives you some insight on what you're getting yourself into this next school year. All the best and good luck!