The Best Four Years (so far)

It's been a while now since I celebrated the first day of school, though I still fondly remember "Welcome Week" (okay, kind of remember) and the feeling of getting a syllabus from a class you're really super jazzed about. Nerdy, but true. There was nothing quite like moving into a new place, breaking out the school supplies, and getting a fresh start with a full year ahead. Four years goes by way too fast and before you know it you're 20-something sitting at a desk, eating overnight oats, and planning out what you can do with your night & still make it to bed before 10 pm. Another blog post, another time, perhaps.

For anyone out there heading off to college for the first time, going back for another year, or simply making a big change: this is for you. Let this be a truthful, wise, and funny guide to starting over. But mainly this is for my baby sister (well, not my baby sister, but she's too cool to not claim her as my own). You're going to do so many great things in this life; the next four years are just the beginning. Be courageous, be confident, be humble. Know that we're always a phone call or a car ride away when you need it. I love and miss you already, twinny!

*don't be afraid to fail.

*go out on a Tuesday when you have an exam on Wednesday.

*but not every Tuesday. that shit's expensive.

*study. oh, sweet child, please study. college is hard, but so rewarding.

*get a job.

*the gym is your friend. so is the local pizza place.

*wine Wednesday.

*make friends with all kinds of people. people you wouldn't have been friends with in high school. college is about a fresh start with new people. you never know what you'll learn outside of the classroom from the most unlikely people.

*that said, go to class. surprisingly you learn more by being there than by watching Netflix in bed.

*watch Netflix in bed instead of going to class in a rain/snow/ice storm. see, it's a delicate balance. *your adviser is your friend. visit them often.

*try new things. it's cliche, but it's the truth. you'll never have the chance to try a new sport, instrument, class, activity, club, food, drink, experience again. college is like sample day at Costco for four whole years.

*be safe. be smart. don't walk home alone. never take a drink from someone - even if you know who they are. the buddy system from 1st grade? it's alive and well, friends.

*don't compare yourself to others. someone will always be doing something cooler, doing something better, or having more fun than you. that's life. get over it, kid.

*learn to like coffee.

*learn to like cheap coffee. money doesn't grow on trees.

*be courageous. great outcomes come from great leaps of faith.

*go home. adjusting to college is important. so is recharging with those who love you.

*visit and stay connected to old friends. but remember the importance of making new ones.

*be open to new things.

*don't put pressure on yourself. to get straight a's, to fall in love, to land a great job. everything will happen when it's meant to.

*but for those moments when the pressure is there and it gets to be too much, find a crying spot and embrace it. mine was the 6th floor social sciences building bathroom. good times.

*learn to be okay on your own. you never truly realize who you are until you spend some time with yourself. this is most important of all.

*have fun, kick butt, & treasure the journey.

The wisdom could go on and so could the envy I feel for everyone beginning college for the first time. You don't truly realize what great things are on the horizon. Embrace it, learn from it, and grow with it. The best is yet to come.

And to my fellow badgers:

On, Wisconsin!