Hi,

It's me. The college sophomore who just finished recruitment season by consuming more coffee than you could ever imagine. I know you're probably really busy with college applications, clubs, Homecoming, and life in general right now, but here's some advice.

Go to the football games, tail gates, and pep rallies.

I know you're a senior and that stuff is probably sooooo freshman year, but depending on your plans after high school, these may be your last opportunities to spend Friday nights in the student section with your best friends. They may not be your favorite things right now, but looking back on it, you might wish you'd cheered, laughed, and made snarky remarks about goofy cheers just one more time.

Go to bed at a decent hour.

At some point, staying up and finishing your paper is significantly less productive than waking up early to finish it. You need the sleep, even if you don't believe that sometimes. Turn your laptop off and go to bed. It'll all be there in the morning.

Put down the cup of coffee and get a glass of juice.

I began my caffeine addiction in high school. I've tried giving it up twice since then, and both times sent me through Hell and back. Try reducing your caffeine intake just a little bit in high school and grab something that's healthier for you. You'll avoid the energy crash in second period and you'll feel better for the rest of the day. Your twenty-year-old self will thank you later.

Take lots of pictures.

The people you're spending every waking moment with right now may not be in your life in one or two years, but take as many pictures as you can right now. Hopefully that folder will be something you can look back on and smile or cringe at later. Facebook memories can be great, but I've found myself wishing that I had more pictures than the cropped, edited, and filtered ones that flooded my Instagram feed.

Throw away your five year plan.

Two years ago, I never would've imagined my life to be the way it is right now. I'm at a different school than I predicted, looking at other postgrad work, and I definitely still don't have it all figured out. I love my university, my sorority sisters, my classmates, and my major, even though they weren't specifically listed in my five year plan. You like to be in control, as proved by your highlighted, color-coded planner, but let go of this one.

Put down the college apps and turn your mind off for an hour.

If you're anything like me, you're sitting around the kitchen table with your parents and about eight copies of your resume. You want to put your best foot forward to colleges, but a mental break will help everyone. Step away from the latest draft of a college application, essay, or resume and go over to a friend's house to watch yet another episode of your favorite TV show.

Hug everyone around you right now and mean it.

Hug your parents for helping you get to this point. Hug your friends for all of their jokes when you're stressed or when you're so tired that everything is absolutely hilarious. Hug your siblings. Hug your teachers. Most of these people will be more than an arm's length away in just under a year. Appreciate what you've got while you've got it.

I won't feed into the cliché that these are the best years of your life. They might not be, but that's okay. Accept and embrace them for what they are. Live in the moment and remember to take care of yourself. You are more than a test grade, a college admissions decision, or a GPA. You've got this.