My Advice to My Brother (and any high school senior)

Alley Jackson inspired me on this post. We both have 18 year old brothers who are graduating high school seniors who are also both going to Auburn in the fall.

Blake, here is my advice to you, and you know I try to keep it real:

1) Keep your first semester at AU easy. Take classes you are good at, and can swing A's out of. This will make sense when you have tough semesters later down the road and you are pulling your hair out as you try to keep that 3.0. It's hard to pull the GPA up, but OH SO easy to pull it down.

2) Be the most extroverted version of yourself that you can be. Invite new people to do things, chat up the person beside you in class, and always accept an invitation to do something new when someone invites you. That is the only way you are going to make new friends and believe me, they end up being your best friends.

3) Don't forget about you hometown friends though.

4) Outside lunches at Momma G's and pitchers (crack beer we liked to call it)--enough said.

*ADD IN: fake i.d. Sorry, any parental readers.

5) Save your skip days for Friday's. See #4.

6) If you live in a apartment that doesn't have a pool, be sure and make friends with people that DO have a pool. See #5

*ADD IN: Make friends with people that have beach homes and/or various 2nd and 3rd homes. See #5. :)

7) Work out 5 days a week. You WILL have the time and you WILL get FAT if you don't.

8) Be apart of something. Whether its a frat, SGA, or the football team.

9) Don't drink and drive. That is why you live on campus--you are close to everything and can walk. Don't be a douche bag. Also, watch the liquid courage and avoid the quintessential fist fight.

10) Utilize the library and the coffee shops for study spots. Try to be organized. You will actually use a calendar/planner for the first time in your life.

11) Be smart with your money. Don't be that guy who buys EVERYONE a drink. Not cool and you will get spanked when Mom and Dad get the bill. Remember, I have already been there.

12) Eat lunch at Lupton Deli in the Quad. Best kept secret.

13) Eat at Mikata and make friends with the cooks. You won't be sorry ;) Also, Nehons is great too for Japanese and it's got a drive through.

14) Utilize the Student Discount at the movies and hit the matinee on rainy afternoons.

15) Tailgating begins on Wednesdays. BE PREPARED (so says Eagle Scouts, right?)

16) GO TO AWAY GAMES. THIS = AWESOMENESS

17) Do take a weekend and go visit your friends in T-town at least once a semester. Be careful, it can easily take a piece of your soul and watch yourself at Gallettes.

18) There is a Snow Biz in the parking lot of both Winn Dixies (or at least there was)

19) TAKE A LOT OF PICTURES. It's not girlie.

20) Stock up on Tshirts

21) Save your shakers, koozies, and class notes.

22) Learn about laundry, ironing, and a few basic cooking skills before you leave home. These are survival skills. Also, when you come home, BRING laundry, don't worry--Mom really does miss doing it.

23) Wash your sheets once a week. Invest in a few candles. Bar/Band Room funk is not cool.

24) If Addison calls at 4am--go pick him up

25) All I can say is go balls to the wall for 4 years--it goes by WAY too fast!!! WAR EAGLE!!!

Any other advice for the young buck? Jess-you're always good for a few. Did I forget anything?