Dear Stressed Out, Overwhelmed, College Freshman.....Yea, You.

Dear College Freshman,

10 years ago I was in your shoes. You're probably standing in the dorm showers sporting your newly purchased shower flip flops (because ain't nobody got time for community bacteria). Wondering what in the world did you get yourself into? For the first time since you've left your mother's womb, you're solely responsible for yourself. The biggest mind blower of it all, is at just 18 years old, you had to decide what you were going to do with the rest of your adult life. What is that nonsense?!

I can guarantee you, 18 year old me, had a different life pictured, than what 28 year old me is actually living. I'm sure your dreaming of one day showering in your marble slab, walk-in, dual head shower. You know, the shower that's in your big fancy house, that you purchased with that fancy college degree salary. The truth. Your shower will more than likely be an acrylic insert you bought on sale at home depot. Also, just a heads up, despite you showering with water...and soap....daily in the thing, showers still need cleaned at least once a week. On top of it all, you know how the shower drain used to get clogged at home all the time....well, tag! you're it...now you're in charge of pulling a months worth of hair out of that thing. Post grad life is glamorous, I know.

Trust me, soon enough you'll be living life with out exams and public speaking. Right now, it's important that you don't get caught up in working so hard for the future, that you ignore the present.  You have a goal, you have dreams, and that's great. But I assure you, life is going to throw so many wrenches into those dreams when it's all said and done. One day, you'll be sitting back in your less than perfect fixer upper (because houses cost a lot of money, and you just spent all of yours, plus the banks, going to college) covered in a pile of your own kids, wondering what in the world happened to 18 year old you's plans. Life happened. Really fast. You will find yourself thinking, boy did 18 year old me get it all wrong. I should have picked a career more catering to the life I'm living now. If only I knew back then, what I know now. Things would be so different.

Probably not. Because, once you think you have life all figured out, it get's all switched around.

Right now you are starting some of the best adventures of your entire life. Yea, it's going to be scary. It will most defiantly be stressful.  You are going to second guess yourself, more times than you could imagine. That's normal. If you aren't second guessing yourself, than you don't care enough.  One thing you can not get wrapped up in, is worrying too much about how the right now is going to affect the future you. Now I know, this goes against everything, everyone important to you has ever preached. I'm not telling you to just forget about your long term goals, you need to be working towards something. I'm not saying to just goof off, and throw your money away (because that will surely make adult you be ticked off at the now you). You need to succeed at what you set out to do. You need to buckle up for your journey, aiming towards your end destination, always. BUT, it's okay to take a few side roads every now and again, as long as they will still get you to your destination.

The truth is, even though you just had to make a very adult decision, by picking a career path, and you have total freedom for the first time ever...you're not an adult yet. That's okay. There is plenty of time to settle into adulthood. I mean are you really in a rush to be unclogging that shower drain?! Use this time right now, to explore. Break out of your comfort zone. Be a "yes" person every once and a while. Be a leader. Turn the people who sit next to you in class, into friends. Keep your morals strong while being epic at the same time. Volunteer. Go to that college party (but don't underage drink). Sign up for that outdoor adventure club. Because when you're an adult, you're not going to reflect back on your college experience and think "boy do I miss the days of studying in my 6ft room and stressing about final exams." If you choose to stay in your lane for the entire ride and not soak in all of these wonderful experiences along the way, you will come to regret it. Come graduation day, you are going to find yourself sitting next to the people who took advantage of all the opportunities, while you sat at your desk making flash cards. Don't do that to yourself. Because all those people around you, are walking out of that auditorium with the exact same piece of paper as you, but with way more experiences under their cap.

A little bit of hard reality. Did you know that only 27% of college grads actually use their college degree? I am one of them. If you would have told 18 year old me that, I would be disappointed in the adult me. The truth is. Life happened. You can't plan for that when you're 18, or even 28. But I worked hard, all through high school, all through college. I had a plan, I was focused, I was going to succeed. You know what though? I did succeed. Just in a much different way than what I could have even of imagined back then. The only regret I have is not realizing back then, that spending some of my time and energy into doing some of the fun college things, would not have derailed my plans at all. You get one shot to cherish your late teens, and early twenties, before you really do have to become an "adult". Take a shot (not a literal shot, unless you're 21, in which case, have one for me). Enjoy it. Cherish it. Because you do not get any re dos with this part of your life.

So grab your shower caddy. Squeak down the halls in your shower flip flops. Throw yourself together, and challenge your roommate and yourself to go do something new. This place is going to be your home for the next few years, so make it feel like one. Get familiar with every nook and cranny that town has to offer (except for the dark alleys, always stay away from those). Because soon these days will just be pages in your college scrap book. Make them worth showing off to the grand kids.

    Sincerely,
         The lady who used to make flash cards

P.S. CALL HOME

freshman year of college.
now we dress up as peanut butter & jelly...