What up, kid. This is a pep-talk. Maybe it will be one of the better pep-talks you receive during the months leading up to your first year in college, though as you can tell from my picture, I am not Kid President. If you are unfamiliar with whom this Kid President is, that’s your first homework assignment.

You may be sitting in a SOAR session at this very moment thinking, “What have I gotten myself into?” Take heart, my friend. Three years ago I was in your spot, yet by some miraculous chain of events, I have survived six semesters at the University of North Alabama and proudly present myself before you as the beloved news editor of the 2013-2014 Flor-Ala staff.

Some things you need to know before you start: you don’t know everything. I don’t mean that in the condescending way that your high school counselors may have said it to you in the past, but you just gotta understand that ignorance is not the same thing as stupidity. I think it’s safe to say that every single person is ignorant of something (I still can not keep my shoes tied for more than four hours).

With that said, feel free to ask questions of your parents, family, friends and people you know who are already in college about what this life of “higher education” is all about. You’re here to learn something, but you don’t know exactly what that is.

Maybe for starters you should read through the entirety of this paper, so you can at least have an idea of what questions we thought should be answered for y’all. We’ve worked hard to give you guys a head start so you can ease into the information overload of your freshman year.

A few practical pointers: If you’re living in the dorms, as I’m sure many of you are, your first investment should be in a pair of shower shoes. Also, oatmeal and ramen make good meal substitutes, but know that God made salads for a reason.

Those roommates that are really loud down the hall from you are always going to be loud. It’s best to become their friend so you can text them to shut up instead of having to call your Community Assistant in the wee hours of the morning.

So, how are you feeling?

I remember being so anxious at SOAR camp that my hands were trembling as I registered for classes. If you’re laughing because you can relate to this, come talk to me – we will be friends.

You’ll make a lot of friends while you’re here, because this is not something you do on your own. Have you never watched the movies? College is one of the only times in your life where you’re around a ton of people in the exact same stage of life as you.

We’re all a little terrified at times, but as John Lennon said, “You know it’s gonna be alright.” There, I quoted The Beatles. Feel better yet?

My point is simple: I want you to know that whatever concerns you have about college, there are people here who have your back. I want you to know that the faculty and staff here legitimately care about students.

I want you to know that the staff members at The Flor-Ala care about students. I mean, we are students, after all. As students, we are on your side, because it’s our side too.

I look forward to meeting many of you and wish you the very best in this endeavor.