2012 & My Turn As a Big Sis :)

If it were 2012 and I was asked to come to the SSS class to talk about things my little sister class should know going into their freshman year of college, I would say something like this:

"Hey guys! Just to give you a little background information I'm Mackenzie Cox. I'm a junior here at Converse, and I'm double majoring in Music Therapy and Psychology. If you leave here today forgetting everything I've talked about, the one thing I urge you to remember is this: TIME MANAGEMENT IS KEY. Coming into my freshman year of college I carried the four year habit of procrastination. Knowing that I had to eliminate this problem in order to be successful in college, I decided that planning was extremely important. I use an agenda to write down every assignment and activity. In the front of my agenda I keep a copy of my class schedule so that I always have it handy. When I know I'm going to have a busy day I write down everything I have to do on a piece of paper, and assign a certain time to complete each task. Remember, though, that scheduling some down time is just as important as doing homework. If you don't allow time to relax and have fun, you will most likely be stressed to the max and feel extremely overwhelmed. Trust me. Also, sleep is non-negotiable! Some of you probably think you can run off three hours of sleep per night, but I promise you will crash and burn very quickly if you try that. Your body needs sleep to function. Lack of sleep affects your memory of material, your level of concentration, your ability to retain more information, as well as many other important things. And coffee is by no means a substitution for sleep. When you get to a certain point, even coffee won't help. So please remember to get in enough sleep. Another good thing to know is that your professors aren't out to get you. If you need help in a class or just need someone to talk to, you can go to them. Make friends with them, and don't hesitate to ask questions. I think the most understanding of all your professors will probably be your private instrumental teacher. Sometimes I'll feel overwhelmed and need to vent. I know that when this happens I can go to Mr. Law and let everything out. He understands me best because he also plays cello and has been through a lot of the same things. He's very understanding, and he doesn't freak out when I cry, seriously.
Don't be afraid to be all that you can be. Shoot for the stars, and remember three key things: time management is extremely helpful, sleep is non-negotiable, and your professors are there for you. Good luck!"