As midterms are coming up soon, I've been finding myself thinking about how fast my freshman year of college is going by and how different life was at this time last year. I learned a lot during my senior year, so I thought I would share some of my advice for you seniors.

1. Start your college apps early.

There is nothing worse than doing things last minute, especially when they determine the course of the rest of your life. Make sure you're getting those letters of recommendation early and getting those essay edited. Deadlines come up fast.

2. Go to a school dance or a football game.

The essence of school spirit and Friday night football games where you know almost everyone is something that you will miss.

3. Visit schools that you're interested in.

The most informed college decisions are made when you are able to truly experience what kind of environment you'll be living in.

4. Spend time with your friends.

It's senior year, and chances are, you will all be heading off to different places in a few months. Make all kinds of crazy awesome memories with them so you can remember your senior year. Take lots of pictures because otherwise your dorm room desk is going to look very bare!

5. Become personally invested in an activity.

This could be a school activity or an outside of school activity such as a religious organization. Some of my best memories were made during my senior year when I became very passionate about the activities that I did.

6. Hang out with your family.

Yes, hanging out with your family is cool now. You will miss your mom's cooking and your siblings nagging when you're off on your own.

7. Despite all of this, try to relax.

Senior year is the light at the end of the tunnel, and it's worth it to relax even amidst all of the stress.

8. Keep an open mind.

You might have a perfect plan for the future, but more often than not, those plans don't execute exactly as well as you would hope. If you work hard and keep an open mind, things will turn out well. You won't get into every college you applied to, not everything will be perfect, but it will all be okay.

Happy October, seniors! I hope you have a wonderful rest of your year.