Listen up, you got this - you can make it through the day without texting your Mom to call you out early.

At this point in time, you're probably engulfed in stress over your college applications. You could be relying on an acceptance to your dream school or applying to eighteen different universities, or you could be anywhere in-between. If you get everything done early, the process won't be as stressful. As repetitive as this sounds, if you pick the school you feel the most comfortable at you can't do wrong; your Dad's alma mater or the school your best friend is going to sound good in theory, but college is about YOU and following YOUR heart.

You're going to get a lot closer to your friends. No matter if you go to school in the same state or eight hundred miles away you have to accept the reality that things are going to change very fast. You're going to spend nights in with with your close knit circle watching movies and want to hold them so tight that they will never leave; cherish these moments.

No matter if high school blessed you or cursed your teenage years, there are many people you need to thank. The teachers that always reprimanded you for your uniform being too short taught you the importance of looking professional and following the rules, even though having a short skirt was really important to you at sixteen years old, thank them. Thank the boy you barely knew that asked you to prom for teaching you about courage. Thank your school nurse for healing emotional wounds too and giving you a place to lie down and relax when you needed someone to talk to. Thank your coach for pushing you and teaching you the importance of hard work. Thank your best friend's parents for taking you in every weekend and driving you to the mall at ridiculous hours. Thank your own parents for being there for you no matter what and for the unconditional love.

This is going to be a year of lasts. Your last home match for your team you've been playing on since middle school is going to sting; it's okay to cry when you serve your last set and shake your opponents hand for the last time. Cherish your last high school spirit week; the closest thing you get to this is themed frat parties and those aren't as cool. Go to the last home match for your school's team you never got into. Sit front row and cheer on your classmates. Hey, even paint your f*cking face.

Before you know it, it's all over. If you're thrilled to leave high school or plain devastated, the end of a chapter in your life is always hard. When you accept your diploma and walk back to your seat you will realize that this is the last time ever you will be in the same room with these people at the same time; you're going to get a knot in your throat.

I'll leave you with some words of wisdom, from a high school survivor, and even better a CATHOLIC school survivor. Embrace everything senior year has to throw at you; everything happens for a reason. There will be nights where it feels like this cannot end and your college choices aren't right; it will be okay.

Sincerely,

A college freshman, and a senior year survivor