To all of my friends' younger siblings,

Here are just a few things to keep in mind your freshman year. You'll thrive, you'll have fun, and you'll find yourself. You will make mistakes and hopefully, learn from them and you'll have the time of your life. But keep some of the things I mention in mind, and you'll be just fine.

1. Money:

-Surprise! At some point when you get to college and forever more after that you may become broke. No money in your pocket kind of broke. As of right now, I have $5.23 in change, no dollar bills just change. Save your money, or spend it wisely. Do I wish I had money? Of course, who wouldn't? Buying groceries, pizza late at night sure does take a lot of money out of your pocket, so expect that eventually, you'll need to ask your parents for money. So Mom, if you're reading this, want to transfer some money?

2. Sleep:

-"At least 8 hours of sleep!" the doctors and all parents and higher professionals say. Yeah, that may or may not happen. You will become so consumed by homework, studying, and being involved with other activities that getting the correct number of sleep hours will be rare. So, when you go home on the weekend or for a break, take complete advantage of it. Beware, however, if you don't get enough sleep you will become run down, coffee will become a part of your morning routine, and you may also get sick. Manage your time and try and get as much sleep as you can.

3. Homework:

-You get LOTS of homework...sometimes. Mostly, it depends on your class schedule, but this is where you need to plan and organize your time. Yep, it turns out that your teachers and parents were right all along. Note: If you get anything out of the article it should be this: get a planner. Your life will be forever changed, and you'll be so much more calm. I learned this later on after my freshman year, and it has made all the difference in the world. When it comes to homework and even class in general, ask questions! Even if you think they may be stupid questions, "There is no such thing as a stupid question." Make sure you understand what's going on because the homework that you do will roll over to tests...trust me. Also, DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Don't make excuses, get it done, you'll understand the topic better, and you'll be more prepared. You can't use the, "My dog ate my homework excuse anymore," dogs aren't common on campus..just an FYI.

4. Studying:

-Study, study, study. Yes, it's that important. Don't cram/procrastinate. Find a study pattern that works for you. Go to tutoring. Again, ask questions. Find a study partner? Don't pull an all-nighter for studying. It's not worth it.

5. Making it to class on time:

-Making it to class is hard, especially in the winter, but making it to class on time is also hard. Especially when you're eating a really good breakfast and get lost in the socializing before class. But be there. Early. Get a good seat, where you can see the board and not be distracted from everyone else around you. In the end, you'll be glad you weren't that awkward person that walks in late.

6. Staying awake:

-Coffee. If you aren't a coffee drinker before you go to college, you just might be after a few months of not enough sleep and droopy eyes. Wash your face with cold water in the morning, drink two cups of coffee, blare music in the morning or whatever you need to do to stay awake in class. Yes, this is important too. You sure don't want to be called out by the professor.

7. Exercise:

-Take the time to exercise. It's the best stress reliever and will help take your mind off of whatever is getting you worked up..or not. Guaranteed you will feel good after and you might not gain the freshman 15.

8. Eating Healthy:

-Going off of exercise, eat healthy. It's one thing to exercise, but you also have to eat healthy. Sure, it's hard to keep up a healthy diet especially with all of the pizza deliveries at 12:00. Cheat once in awhile with your diet, but try and balance out your diet. Your mom and dad will sure be proud of you.

9. Extra curricular's:

-Get involved! Intramural's, choir, dance, band, orchestra, sororities, fraternities, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, etc., get out there! You'll meet tons of new and awesome people, and you might even have some fun. Besides, it will also keep you out of trouble.

10. Laundry:

Ahh, laundry. The stuff that your mom can't do for you anymore. But here's a little secret, it isn't that hard. Finding time to do laundry, finding an open washer and dryer is the hard part. But hint: don't save your laundry until the end of the week or when you don't have any clean clothes left. It doesn't make for a very good time getting dressed (your outfit becomes mismatched), and it gets really heavy to bring all of that laundry down. Also, please, please, please, for the love of everyone around you, always wear clean clothes...not ones that are a week old and smell of body odor. That's not pleasant for anyone, take my word on that one.

Also, some things I didn't mention:

-Thank your parents. Don't forget to call and tell them what's going on. Oh and don't forget to say, "I love you" at the end of the conversation.

-Stay in touch with your high school friends. They will always be there for you, and when you need to talk really, they know you more than the people that you meet within the first few weeks. In other words, don't pour yourself out to them. Take it slow (with either gender).

-Have some guy friends. You'll be glad you do when you're stuck in girl drama.

-Take long showers. The hot water is endless.

-Be your own person.