As clueless college freshmen roam around campus eager to start their first week of classes, many might find the transition from high school to college to be difficult. It takes some time to find a strong footing and that is only after several weeks/months of navigation and making several mistakes along the way. However, this isn't just a transition from one four year institution to another but a major stage of adulthood that challenges you in sometimes unprecedented ways. Good study habits and time management aren't the only skills you'll need so here's a list of things you should know when starting:

1. Know the area.

Getting lost on your first day of class, second day, even six months in would not be surprising. Make sure you map the layout of your school, where your classes are, important buildings of interest such as counseling, academic advising, financial aid, professor's office, etc. Not just academic buildings either, find out where you can grab food at 2:00 AM, it might come in handy.

2. Make sure you're not low on lunch money.

Pocket change can only get you so far and wasting meal swipes is sacrilegious. Look for deals or free giveaways any store on campus is offering. With money going towards expenses like textbooks, dorms, transportation, you can never forget about food. Or maybe get a little creative with the basic necessities.

3. Be aware of scams.

This has to be said for every young adult, even in high school. There are a lot of people who run pyramid/multilevel marketing schemes that are looking to recruit students to do their bidding. Common traits of these schemes include giving you a really long spiel about why their "business" is so great and can carry you to success through sheer will and determination. You'll be selling overpriced products and claim to teach you to be an independent business owner, to not be bossed around like the rest of the working population, and to work on your own time. They might say they really reward their employees through paid trips to places like Las Vegas, Hawaii, and other destinations where you'll sit through leadership and teamwork seminars. The reality is a cult like mentality that pushes you to sell and recruit other people with a really pushy attitude and ultimately wasting your time, money, and energy. Noted "companies" like these are Amway, World Financial Group, and Market America. Its not worth it, find a job that is actually rewarding. If its too good to be true, it is, especially if it takes an hour to convince you.

You'll get recruited and they if you recruit more people you'll move up in the "company"

4. Put financial aid on speed dial.

Your ability to attend classes is determined largely by your academic/social standing with the school and your financial situation. The latter is a thing you can't always control and can unexpectedly change for the better or, more likely, the worse. No matter the case, make sure you know how to reach the financial aid office ASAP and be aggressive if something is missing from your aid package. Make sure your FAFSA, state aid, and scholarships are there. This is absolutely the number one thing you must stay on top of, you literally can't afford to be lazy.

5. Mark your deadlines.

Due dates for assignments, exam times and location, when to fill out FAFSA, so many things can happen at once that you might forget a crucial day to do that thing you really needed to do. I personally use Momentum to keep track of what I need to do but there are a variety of apps and methods of making sure you're kept up to date.

6. Seek opportunities/Network.

College truly is what you make of it. It is an open experience that yields rewards equivalent to the work you put in. Unlike in high school where the daily bulletin or news of things of interest eventually came to you, college requires you to network to be in the know. Want to make new friends? Look for a club. Want to learn guitar? Register in a class. Want to get a internship? Search and apply. Networking is the most important skill you should develop while in college and that requires you to really sell yourself and attend as many professional or social events as possible. Get LinkedIn, ask for business cards, stay updated with campus news, and really push yourself to grab the opportunities you want.

7. Seek help.

You might think you are ready to take on the world but sometimes you bite more than you can chew. Everyone struggles at some point so don't refuse help or not seek it out when you desperately need it. In terms of academics: raise your hand in class to ask questions, see your professor during office hours as much as possible, get tutoring, organize study sessions, etc. College provides a lot of resources to help make sure you don't fall behind, use them. When so many things hit you at once, you'll feel frustrated at times. Not addressing your stress will allow it to build up over time and cause detrimental effects to your self-esteem and mental health. Don't ever be afraid to seek mental health services on campus or to help a fellow classmate when you notice something is off with them. Don't ever be afraid to ask for any kind of help.

8. Set short term and long term goals.

College allows you to get to know yourself and provides the foundation of how you'll conduct yourself for much of your later life. It can be a lot of soul searching especially if you have no idea what you want to major in, what kind of career you want, and where you want to be after graduating. Having a set of short term and long term goals helps provide a road map to your future and can impress people when networking or being interviewed for an internship/job. Its okay to be chill and have a "let's see where life takes me" attitude but to have no compass at all to where you want to go will only hurt you in the future. Think about what you want to achieve within a year, perhaps making Dean's List; and also what you want to achieve by the time you're a senior, perhaps joining a lot of clubs and attaining leadership positions. The world is your oyster and you are the captain now, plan wisely.

9. Keep in touch.

No doubt you will be so swamped with work and obligations that you'll run out of time for other people. Your new friends you made on campus, old friends from high school, or just family back home can grow more distant from you as you drift further into your work. At the end of the day, you'll want someone to talk to and share any news with. In sometimes a hectic and chaotic environment, nothing can maintain your sanity better than a deep conversation with an old face.

10. Take care of yourself.

Juggling classes, clubs, events, income, a social life, and even more because they all require your immediate attention will happen but so will failing to give yourself some attention. Its great to be ambitious and active but not at the expense of yourself. Its always a constant balance with your physical, mental, and social health but treat yourself. Make time for yourself to recharge and get way from the stress. That might mean saying no to some obligations and that's okay. As long as you're okay, so will everything else.