College, The Real World, and an Older Brother

So I'm going to be graduating soon, and honestly, I am terrified. My parents, teachers and friends say everything will be fine, but I have my doubts. Recently, I vented to my older brother Pat, a UGA graduate, and he did not sugar-coat the situation of a rising college freshman. He told me, "One thing I learned, Faith, is to never count on anyone having the answers for you. People can give you advice, but never let them predict your future." I knew he was right, and this was unnerving, because I sure as heck didn't have any answers! "You don't need to worry about everything right now," he said, "You're not even out of high school yet. I'm twenty four, and I don't know what I want to be when I grow up." My father, who was listening quietly from a nearby recliner, said, "I'm fifty years old, and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up!"
"I just want to figure something out," I said, still feeling quite hopeless. "I mean, where am I going to live, where I'm even going to attend college, how to pay for it--" I hung my head low as the pressure came back. My parents are divorced, and our finacial situation was anything but good. In this chaotic part of my life, I felt so out of sync and completely powerless. College seemed totally overwhelming.

Patrick and I talked for another two hours. We covered evertyhing from life, love, and heartbreak. We talked about how small the dorms are, and getting used to campus life. We talked about how the one dorm biulding that was not co-ed was referred to as the Virgin Vault, because it was all girls, and no male visitors were allowed after 7 pm. Patrick told me heremembered what it was like to have his whole life infront of him, with no idea about how to live it.
The biggest adventure that I will be embarking on, I think, will be Independance, and entering Real Life in the Real World. But how can you prepare for the Real World if you don't actually live in it until you graduate from high school? As I begin my great-college-life-journey-thing, I will more than likely fall head first out of the nest, and learn to fly on the way down. But everyone has to at some point, and most people get survive. As college gets closer, The Real World seems more doable, and with the help of a wiser, older, college-graduated brother, I think I may just be able to do it.