The business of giving advice is tricky. The adviser must have had enough trials and tribulations to be jaded, but also enough victories to be hopeful. Let’s just say I’m a pro. Let’s say you just started college.

Back when I first started college, I was standing outside Castle Heights sweaty, exhausted and waving goodbye to my mom as she started her trip back to Dyer County. The ugly crying began, as did my mental war between feeling completely free and all alone. I was a 17-year-old freshman and scared out of my mind.

Fast forward two years, and I’ve changed my major, failed statistics, made As, become best friends with the super organized girl who lived on the floor above me and lived off ramen noodles for two weeks, and I’m still truckin’.

Now, it’s your turn.

Your college years are when you find yourself. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll play too many drinking games. I’m here to give you some advice, a little pep talk and a little insight to the world of APSU. Let’s start with some basics:

1. Grab a map and explore campus before your first day of classes. You don’t want to get totally lost and walk into a psychology class by mistake. They’ll try to analyze you.
2. Don’t buy a fish. You’ll get attached, then it will die, and you’ll be scarred for life. R.I.P. Kendrick.
3. Take advantage of all opportunities for free food. I get a cupcake if I sign up for e-mail reminders from TheGovSays? I can dig it.
4. Don’t run out of plus dollars two weeks before break. Finals without Starbucks makes Emily a basket case.
5. Join something. Join anything. Like Student Publications (*wink wink*). You have about 130 other options too. Get out there.

You’ll probably have at least 17 mental breakdowns in the next four years that will be caused from the following, among other things: breaking up with your high school love, being flat broke, scoring a 43 on an exam, getting scolded by a professor, having a really bad hangover and not knowing what the hell you want to do with your life.

I want you to know it’s okay to cry, but don’t fret. You’ll also experience some of the greatest times here, like meeting the people you’ll be friends with forever, finding your groove, staying up all night till you’re laughing deliriously on the floor of someone’s kitchen, finding bae and learning how to become independent. College is all about taking the hard times in stride while learning how to make the most of the good times. Don’t worry; it’ll all turn out OK.

Good luck. Hugs, kisses and all of my best wishes.

-Emily