Dear Freshman,

Let me first start by congratulating you on deciding to invest in your future. You are very fortunate to be in this position and you should be proud of yourself. As you look forward to making the best out of your experience, creating lifelong friendships, please remind yourself of why you decided to attend college. Perhaps you’re the first to attend college in your family, or you know that pursuing a higher education will help you get further in life. Either way the process requires determination, ambition and focus.

As mentioned by Huffington Post writer Stephanie Beach “Take advantage of all of the opportunities that present themselves to you. And better yet, don’t just wait for opportunities to come along, make them yourself and go out there and look for them.”

However, beware that not all those who enter college with you, will end up sitting next to you at graduation. It’s sad but it’s the reality of things. In fact, 4 out 5 of freshmen drops out before their sophomore year, and the main factors are usually finances and academic failure. College is not always a smooth transition. This is why many colleges are seeking more to provide academic support and extracurricular activities to their student body. Most college students worry about fitting in and finding their niche, but staying and excelling in college should be your main concern.

Take a look at this info graphic below by CollegeChoice.net to see why Freshman Year Matters