Dear Incoming Freshman,

Congratulations! You are about to start your high school or college career.

There must be a lot going on in your mind when you think about the next four years. Just picture it. Will you end up being the star quarterback? Head cheerleader? Will you be elected as senior class president? Homecoming Queen? A class favorite? Will you be part of the "in crowd," or will you stay on the outskirts?

No matter what you see yourself becoming, you know that you will be walking across that stage to receive your well-deserved diploma in just four years.

But your high school and college years won't be anything like what the movies and television series describe. There is going to be a lot of work involved. After all, you are still in school.

You have to worry about your SAT or ACT later on in high school and your GRE later on in college (at least, if you plan on attending graduate school). While you have to worry about your other assignments, you definitely need to be preparing yourself for these major tests, especially if you are not the strongest test taker.

Take it from the girl who graduated high school with a 3.5 GPA but was only able to score a 21 on her ACT.

Even though you should focus on your work, get involved. You most likely are not going to be the most popular person in your entire school. However, you might be the most popular in your clubs or on your sports teams.

Plus, getting involved on campus is going to be incredibly beneficial for you in the long run. I cannot possibly stress that enough. The more involved you are on campus, the more connections you'll make with your teachers and professors.

The clubs and sports you join give you that many more people to network with for your future career (and get recommendations later on down the road). And as much as you can't stand that one teacher who isn't giving you helpful resources to succeed in school, you'll want to connect with them.

Discover the thing that makes you who you are.

Back in junior high, I knew I wanted to do something in the arts, but I could not tell exactly what it was. After all, not many people really know who they are in junior high.

I got to high school and joined my thespian troupe, and that was when I realized what I wanted to do. From the title actress to audio engineer, my career was decided. I was still going to be in the arts, but I was going to be behind the scenes, doing all the work that you don't always get to see. I am going to be working on sound boards or with sound equipment in the music or mass communications field.

High school helped me discover who I was, and college has further defined that view of me.

So go ahead and use this time to figure out who you are. I guarantee that it will make your high school and college years much more bearable.

These next four years are going to fly by, so you have to make the most of it.

You are not going to want to look back in a few years and think about the things you wanted to do, only to realize you never took that leap of faith to truly discover who you are.

You will discover the "true you," even if it's several semesters down the line.

Do not be afraid to take that step and sign up for the club. Who cares if people call you a nerd for joining the chess team or another looked down upon club? If that is who you are and where you belong, stay there. It will make your transition that much easier.

Not to mention, you will meet some of your best friends for life if you just step outside of your comfort zone.

Sincerely,

The Almost College Junior