High School teachers try to scare you for no reason.

My entire senior year, and even my junior year of high school, my high school teachers would constantly tell us that we're in for a reality check, that college isn't going to be nearly as easy as high school, that we're never going to make it if we don't get a good enough ACT score, that college professors are these evil emotionless creatures that will make your life a living hell, and so on. It didn't take me long to realize that all the things these teachers said were either extremely exaggerated or simply false. Sure, college isn't easy. But its so different from high school in so many ways you almost can't compare the two on the difficulty level. There's just so much more maturity that comes into the picture. People are no longer living for high school drama and could care less about your personal life. They mind their own business and do their own thing to get the education we all came here for. Coming from a small high school where everyone has to know every detail about your life even though they could care less, college really opened my eyes to see that real, genuine people are really out there. High school teachers also put an absolutely ridiculous emphasis on academics; basically slamming every "average" student in the mix, making them feel like they have no chance of success just because they can't solve a quadratic equation. or because they weren't in the "smart classes" since fourth grade. The truth is, everyone has the same capabilities when it comes to college. You can literally do anything you want to do if you put your mind to it. And the things you aren't good at, aren't going to matter in the long run. Lastly, the myth about college professors is actually laughable. At least in my experience, class has been cancelled so many times for real, human reasons, like waking up late. They don't scream at you if you walk in late, turns out they act like they didn't even notice. They don't throw away your paper you turned in late. They could care LESS what you wear; because, it doesn't distract anyone. I honestly don't know why I came to college being terrified of college professors, because the ones I've had so far are the most laid back, easygoing humans I've ever met. So, take my advice and don't listen to the crap your high school teachers have to say. Because more than likely, they don't have a clue what they're talking aboutt.

You will find your people.

I know what high school is like, what it was like for me at least. Coming home every night in absolute misery because I didn't know where the hell I fit in. I didn't want to put on a mask everyday and pretend to be friends with people I knew didn't value me in the slightest, but I also didn't want to be alone. So I just tried to make it through, and almost failed in the process because I was so alone and depressed. I came into college with the same mentality left over from high school. "No one is going to like me, I have no friends, I'm unapproachable, I'm too shy", and so on. I wish I could have known then just what was in store for me. I always thought that if you wanted friends, you had to make all the effort. You had to text them every second and try to make plans with them, even though they never included you in the first place, you had to do these crazy things just to make them like you and approve of you, you had to act like them even though you didn't necessarily agree with the kind of people they are. You just wanted friends. You wanted to belong. With that being said, I am so glad that this wasn't the case in the slightest for me. It took baby steps, like deciding to go through recruitment when I wasn't really sure about it, trying out for cheer when I was convinced I wasn't good enough. But eventually, I found my people. People who understand me on a different level, people who love me for the mess that I am, people that are there for me through thick and thin, people that encourage me, push me to do better, and lift me up when I'm down. Through college, I met my people. I hope you do too.

You will start to find yourself.

If you asked me what I thought I would be doing in college at this time last year, I probably wouldn't have a clue what to say because I truly didn't know. But I wish I would've known then what I know now: That it's going to be okay, and I'm going to figure it out. I'm not even close to finding a career yet, but here I am, writing, doing something that I love and am very passionate about. I now know what I want to do, and you might not know your first semester of your freshman year, but you will figure it out. I promise. Finding yourself doesn't have to be knowing what you're going to be doing for the rest of your life. Finding yourself is baby steps, finding something that sets a spark in you that could start a fire someday, laughing with friends who mean the world to you, fun nights you'll never forget when you look back on them when you're 30, looking at yourself and all you've accomplished thus far and thinking "wow, I can do this." Because you can. And you will.