Listen, I get it. College can be a terrifying process.

First, you have to decide what you want to do and what you’re even looking for in a school. What do you want to major in, spend the rest of your life doing? What kind of campus do you want? Do you want to stay close to home or go far away? Do you want a big or a small school? What about athletics or location? Then there’s the whole ordeal of going on multiple campus tours and narrowing down your options.

After that, there are countless hours put into your application. You write more essays than you can even keep track of, and spend even more time fine tuning them. There are scary deadlines looming, and the even scarier prospect of student debt to navigate. On top of all that, there’s the social-emotional process of knowing you’ll be moving away from home for the first time in your life. You’ll have to find new friends and learn how to take care of yourself.

With all of these unknowns, college can seem like a terrifying fate that creeps closer and closer every day. But it’s important to remember that you’re not the only one feeling this way. Everyone in your classes and everyone your age across the country is feeling this way, too. College isn’t something to be afraid of. The applications may seem daunting, but truly it is the waiting game after hitting submit that is the worst part.

It is the most wonderful feeling to open a decision letter to see an acceptance from a school you were so excited about. The sense of accomplishment when you finally commit to a school is truly unrivaled in all of your high school career. It is such a sigh of relief to finally have some answers about the coming year, to finally see a path ahead.

So, trust the process. There may be some rejections along the way. You might not get into your dream school, but that does not mean game over. You will find a school that is perfect for you, and you will have a blast wherever you go.

Before you know it, the process will be over. You, and all of your friends, will be committed to a school. It will be May Day, and you’ll be celebrating before you know it.

If you’re like me, you won’t even believe that the whole process is over after hearing about it all throughout your high school years. All of the hard work you’ve put into high school and college applications will finally pay off, and that will be one of the best feelings in the world.

So, trust that something good will come out of the whole ordeal. And look forward to what comes next, for those years truly can be the best of your life.