Things aren't always going to be the same, but change can be for the better

Remember these few things and you will be fine through school. I know a lot of you are going to be going away to college in the next five months and there are a lot of new things that are going to scare and excite you. Be aware of this: if you can make it through one of the toughest moments in your life, college will be no different. For some, it may be a breeze, but for others, it may come as a complete struggle and you may find yourself crying and not knowing how to handle yourself. Here are five things to remember coming into college.

1. You can be yourself here

One thing I like to say that I have learned about myself through high school and into college is that in high school, you thought everyone cared what you were wearing and who you were talking to, but they really didn't. Everyone's obsessing mostly with themselves anyway. In college, you see all types of characters. You see people acting like someone else, you see people acting like themselves and you see people who are trying to be someone else for a change. College is the time to reinvent yourself if you want. So go ahead, save your best self for the next semester.

2. The work isn't easy

No part of my homework is ever "easy". There is always something that I am double checking and obsessing over. I don't want to scare any incoming freshman, but what I am saying is that take it with a grain of salt. It is not the end of the world if you fail something. Whether people like to tell you or not, everyone has failed something in college. Homework is the thing that makes up for the hours you aren't in class, so if you enjoy spending lots of time at the library, you are in great shape.

3. Friends don't always last forever

I have friends who I have known for almost ten years now and also some life long friends that I will keep forever. You will meet a lot of new people, especially in your first semester trying to figure out where you belong. Trust me when I say that a few friends are way better than a whole group of people who don't even know when your birthday is.

4. You don't belong anywhere except where you are

You are a strong, independent person who doesn't need no one else. Well, we all need somebody. You don't have to try and find people who are just like you because in any case, you are going to end up around people who are totally different from you.

5. Permanence is never permanent

You can switch colleges if you want. You don't like a friend? Drop them from your life. Don't like a class, drop it! There is no such thing as permanence in college. Friends change just as much as the seasons do. Life is about change and staying in the same place is boring! People are always saying how much they wished they just went out and did things for themselves because that was what they wanted all along. So get out there and remember these tips, for they are from a wise old owl who knows about change and about college in general.