Don’t be afraid to leave your hometown. Go far far away from your hometown. You’ll feel homesick at first. Then, you’ll realize all the freedom you have and completely forget about home.
It’s okay to miss your mom.
Call Mom when you made a 100 on a quiz, and call her when you fail your first test.
Text your grandparents every single day. Preferably “good morning” texts to make their mornings a little brighter.
Don’t take 8 a.m. classes. Because you will oversleep and miss that class at least once a week.
Join an organization and really participate. If you get ambitious, run for an executive board position. It’ll teach you leadership skills. Plus, you’ll have a reason to be bossy.
It’s okay to live off ramen noodles, bologna sandwiches, and pizza rolls.
Get a job so you don’t have to live off ramen noodles, bologna sandwiches, and pizza rolls.
Don’t pick fights with your roommate. Or else you’ll have to sleep with one eye open.
Make it a priority to go to bed before midnight every night. You’ll thank yourself for it in the morning.
Get a planner that has stickers. Stickers make everything better.
Add a smiley face sticker by “Final Exam” and you’ll feel a bit better.
Open up a savings account and save some money. It can be as little as $5, just save it.
Buy colored pens. Color coordinate your notes. Even if you never read them again, at least they’ll look pretty.
Don’t ever feel like you can’t ask a million questions in class. There’s no such thing as a dumb question. Even if the teacher just answered it, ask again. She’ll make a face, but at least you got your question answered.
Go see your professors during their office hours. Build a relationship with them so when you’re failing and begging for extra credit, they are more likely to feel sorry for you.
Eat in the cafeteria. You pay for it anyway.
Smile at that random person in the library stressing in front of their laptop.
Don’t stress. If you do, look up from your laptop at the person smiling at you.
Drink water instead of soda. Sometimes juice, but mostly water. Maybe even milk. Makes your bones stronger.
Go to a party and dance your heels off. Literally.
Type your work on Google Docs so it saves automatically. Microsoft Word is the devil.
Don’t procrastinate. Well, procrastinate, but only once a week.
Set alarms and label them. “Wake up, princess! The world is yours.”
Go to the gym on campus. Even if you don’t work out, post pictures on Instagram as if you did.
Stop thinking about the boy you left back in your hometown. Meet a new boy. Meet two.
Talk to your classmates. Ask them about their day and if they’re failing Biology, too.
Go to a football game, wear your school colors, paint your face, and go crazy in the student section when your team scores a touchdown. Shout your alma mater at the top of your lungs.
Take pictures, capture memories, hang them all over your room and post them on Facebook.
Your older family members will love to see your face on their Facebook timeline. Plus, they’ll comment just the right things to boost your self-esteem when you’re down. “You’re such a smart and beautiful college girl. You’re going places! I love and miss you.”
Graduate, at your own pace, take your time. It may take more than four years. And that’s perfectly okay.