Freshman year went by faster than I thought. Now it's time to take on my second year of college and honestly I couldn't be more excited about it. I think it is easy to say that we all learned something from Freshman year. Whether it was finding who our friends are, figuring out what we are capable of accomplishing, or even finding ourselves. As I am counting down the days until I pack everything up and head back to college there are a few things I will make sure I keep in mind this year.

To the girl going back to college,

Well, you did it. You got through your first year. Wasn't as bad as you thought, right? Like with many people I am sure you are excited to head back and make this year one to remember. And you are. Take from what you did last year, your accomplishments, your mistakes. Use it to make this year a good one.

Remember that test, or should I say numerous tests that you studied last minute for? Yeah, well I am sure you won't be doing that again. Remember that time when you got over your fear of talking to people and you introduced yourself to someone and now you two are best of friends? We can all use what we did right and wrong from Freshman year to make this one a good one.

One thing we all need to keep in mind is to remember to breathe. College is stressful. There will be classes that you will be up to two in the morning studying for. There will be relationships that break you. But we all need to remember to breathe and focus on what is important during that moment.

I caught myself getting worried about other people and forgot that I had to take care of myself first.

I learned that the best person to be is yourself. Trying to fit in is hard. But it is even harder to try to be someone you're not. I know you hear this all the time so I'll make this part short. Be yourself and stay true to who you are.

The power of napping... Let me just say, there is nothing wrong with napping. Sometimes we need that extra boost of energy. Staying up late with work and waking up early for classes can leave us a little tired, well maybe exhausted. Take time to yourself and relax.

Stay healthy. Sometimes I found it hard to keep on track with exercising and eating right. But making sure you eat right and making sure you are healthy will help you stay focused. Go for a run when you're stressed. That helped second semester and it helps you stay fit and get away from all the hard work.

Don't forget to have fun. Yes, everyone should take college seriously. It's the start to our future. But don't forget to have a little bit of fun once an awhile. Put the books down and go out and do something. Try something new. Meet new people. You'll be surprised with what is out there for you to see.

Overall, each year is a new year. You will always bring something you learned with you. Something that will make your year better and greater than before. You'll meet new people, try new things, and you'll start to realize that everyday is a gift. Make the most of it.

Always, me (or should I say you).