1.) Spending time with family is just as important as anything else.
Let’s face it, leaving home and going off to college or beginning your future is equally as terrifying as it is exciting. This past year, I have discovered that though work piles up and spontaneous get-togethers at a friend’s house are planned, you should always make time for family. Of course it’s sad leaving some friends behind, but it’ll be nothing like watching your mother wave goodbye from the car on move-in day. So this summer, spend time with your family as much as you can.

2.) Take pictures of every memorable moment (and actually print them out, too!).
I have a wall of photos on a wall in my bedroom that I haven’t updated in almost a year. As I look back, I realize I don’t even have pictures of some of the most memorable moments from my high school career. Although we believe we’ll remember a moment for ever, it is so important to have those tangible memories to look back on. So, as you go off to college, immortalize all your memories, maybe even the ones you may hope to forget.

3.) Invest in a journal.
Sure, finstas are a great way to share short rants and embarrassing moments with your friends, but they’re hardly the place to express your feelings. So, my suggestion, especially as you enter college and begin to experience some life-changing events, is to invest in a journal where you can just write your stream of thoughts. Journals are also a great way to reflect. You’ll look back at old ones, smile, laugh, and probably cringe and realize how much you have grown.

4.) Invest in yourself.
I realized this year that I have given up parts of myself and my dreams to do right by other people. I have given up some of my favorite hobbies just to make others happy, and I know that I am not alone in this. So, as we start deciding what are futures are going to look like, begin by doing right by yourself. Ultimately, the decisions we make affect our lives and our futures more than anyone else’s. Sadly, others will often come and go, but ultimately you will need to live with yourself.

5.) It’s not the quantity, but the quality of friends.
Honestly, my friend group has shrunk over the course of these last four years and I would not have it any other way. I could count all my true friends on one hand, but they are my lifeline and the only people on the planet that I trust with everything. So, as we submerge ourselves into the “real world,” it’s important to remember that a large group of friends is nothing if you cannot love, appreciate, and trust one another.