Dear Class of 2020 at The University of West Florida,

This is the semester where your journey begins. You've probably heard the same advice for a decade now about how to make the most of your opportunities when you start a new level of education. In middle school you may have learned about getting to classes on time and how to operate your locker; high school may have taught you how to choose the right classes, apply for the right scholarships, and join the right clubs and organizations to look good on paper for college. Now here you are, this is the moment you've been waiting for!

But no matter how much college prep information or courses you may have taken, there are truly some things you can only learn through experience. For many of you, Pensacola and UWF may be a short drive from home, maybe you've grown up in the Florida Panhandle, you "live where others vacation", you are all about the 850, and that's great! For others, you may be from out of state, or from South Florida, which may as well be another state entirely! Maybe it's been 18 long years in Gainesville, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville or Miami, and you wanted to get as far away from your hometown as possible. Pensacola may be an upgrade for some, and a downgrade for others, but it's completely up to you to make the most out of your new temporary home. Here's a few major pieces of advice to help you survive your stay here, things they may not have prepared you for senior year:

1. The process to apply for scholarships may have been long and arduous, but they can be lost even easier. Money may be a struggle for many while attending school.

Budgeting. That's a word you may hear a lot of, often quoted as something important without proper instruction on how to apply that to your own funds. What I didn't realize is that my one-time scholarships (the ones that don't renew) would make it seem as if I'd be getting thousands back once financial aid is applied to tuition; unfortunately, by the second semester, the amount of money I got back was dramatically less than the first semester, which I spent as if I had all the money in the world.

Then, as first and second semester came to an end, I realized I hadn't made sure to maintain the GPA requirement for many scholarships, losing even more money in the process. Had I taken at least one of the two semesters more seriously, I wouldn't be struggling to pay for tuition, or having to rely upon loans, like I am now. "Broke college student" is a term that many often laugh about, something that students universally feel connected to on a spiritual level, but it's a serious thing for many. Let what happened to me (and definitely many others) be a cautionary tale for you, that you may take your academics seriously if you hope to continue receiving financial support from organizations who believed in your ability to succeed and invested in you your senior year.

2. Though it sounds kind of egocentric, it is important to take care of yourself while attending school. Take some time out of your busy life for yourself.

Some college students may be helping out their families financially, their parents or even their spouses and kids. Some are expected to commute to school and return home, often missing out on the "college experience" and the social aspects to school. Some are so focused on studying and making grades that they lose sight about the wear and tear that their bodies and minds are taking.

Stress. Anxiety. Depression. The freshman 15. Without your parents, maybe you lose good eating habits. Maybe you can't pay for vegetables, and you substitute chips and ramen for them...or worse, you skip meals just to save money. Maybe since your high school athletic career is over, you no longer have the same drive to go the gym. Make sure you're doing good things for your body, as well as your mind. Get out of the dorms every once in a while, or they may feel like a prison to you. RA's often put on events for their residents! You've got bars and clubs if that's your scene, you've got board games and book clubs if that's you instead.

3. You're going to be here for about 2 to 4 years - go see as much of the city as you can!

Sure, maybe the city of Pensacola doesn't scream "adventure" to you, but trust me, I'm going on my third year here and I have yet to see everything there is to see! You've got the beaches just 15 minutes away, with hardly any traffic once tourist season begins to close out. You've got a historic downtown always hosting events, and that comes to life for holidays like Halloween or Christmas. You've got small businesses and hole-in-the-wall restaurants to explore. There's military history, archaeology, picturesque scenes, and amazing places to drive through.

You might be quick to judge and say there isn't as much culture here as there is in places like New York, Los Angeles, or Miami, but Pensacola has a life and soul of its own that is a mix of cultures due to the intermingling of college life, military life, retirees, growing urban development, beach bums, Southern hospitality, and budding entertainment options. You've got four years ahead of you to watch a city blossom before your eyes, and you should take every opportunity you can to enjoy what it has to offer.