Part of being in college is knowing that you have some, if little, life experience, right? Exactly! As part of one class or another were expected sometimes to write letters to those poor high school students telling them all about life on the other side. Let me make this very clear this isn't one of those. My best piece of advice: Don't grow up so fast. If I could write a letter to my freshman self and tell her anything, it wouldn't be to work myself silly trying to make straight A's. In college a C is passing, no one cares if you make straight A's. No, I'd tell her to skip school with the boy she thought she loved and go fishing. I'd tell her to go to the homecoming dance with her friends, wear a dress and dance even though you can't dance to save your life. I would tell her to join every club she possibly could and actually participate. I'd tell her to go out for softball even though she wasn't the most athletic. I would say, self, when that cute blonde haired, blue eyed senior smiles at you and asks to carry your books: LET HIM! Don't say no because your friends thought he was weird. I'd tell that girl to stop worrying about being popular and perfect. Oh and there's no such thing as social suicide. That's just a thing on Mean Girls! High school will be the best four years of your teenage life. I know you never think so when you're young, but it's true. You will never be 16 years old ever again. It only happens one time! So go to prom, even if no one asks you. Go to that party with your friends. Stay up all night and binge watch your favorite television show. Fall in love, often. Don't settle for anything. Take every opportunity that's given to you. Be reckless! This is the time for you to make mistakes. This is the time to spread your wings and see just how far you can fly, but still know that you have somewhere to land. Go to every football game even if you don't like football. Spend time with your friends, make memories. In four years you will no longer be a teenager and the world will demand that you grow up. So live the best four years of your life and live them well. It'll be the last prom you ever get to go to, the last homecoming dance, the last pep rally. College is a blast and I guarantee you'll make so many new friends and so many memories, but you won't be a child anymore. You'll be an adult, who has to make adult choices and take adult responsibilities. You'll enter a whole new best four years of your life category. So when you go to school today don't take it for granted. Live each moment of the day like it's your last because honestly, it is. You'll never be as young as you are right now. Every day is just another day closer to the day you die. I know you're ready to graduate, and I know you can't wait to be in college, living the dream. I know you think your parents are unfair and you can't wait to leave them and make your own decisions but I know, I'm a senior in college so trust me here, that you'll appreciate them. You'll learn that you can't believe how much they actually did for you. You have the whole rest of your life to be your own parent, to adult as we college kids say, but try to slow down. Try to enjoy the best four years of your teenage life. I know your ready, but try not to grow up so fast.
