I remember being told throughout high school that college would be the best years of my life. I remember being told that high school is fun and cool, but I will make lifelong friends in college. And that's true - I have met so many people who I know will be lifelong friends in my first year of college, and I have had enormous amounts of fun. I think hearing those phrases throughout high school made me miss a lot; made me focus more on the future than on the present. I've only been in college for a year, but I've already realized a few things I wish I knew my senior year of high school.

1. Balance is key.

Balancing your life can be crazy, hectic, and sometimes seem impossible. Make time for your friends and family, make time for fun, make time for work, make time for school. Balancing it all will be hard, and you may feel like you're the only one doing it, but you're not. Everyone is trying their best to do everything they can. Try your best.

2. Go to every sporting event you can.

High school sports are something special, especially student sections. Unless you're going to a college that participates in March Madness or something similar, chances are you won't have a rocking student section. Appreciate the games, the dress themes, the fun.

3. AP Tests aren't the most important things in the world.

I know how stressful AP testing can be, trust me. But don't hurt yourself preparing and cramming, because most of the time they only get you out of one class in college. The more important thing is the information and techniques you spend all year learning. Yes, it feels great to get a five on one of those tests, but it's not the end of the world if you don't.

4. Sleeping is very, very, very important.

This seems childish, but it really is. Most of the time, you will be too busy to take naps during the day, so make sure you get as much sleep as possible every night. Staying up late with friends is great, and you make awesome memories, but you are not immune to exhaustion (this is especially true in college).

5. Don't let people control your future.

Whatever you do after high school, whether it's college or going to work right away, make sure it's your decision. Don't let anyone push you around or pressure you into making a decision too quickly or something you don't agree with. Only you know what is right for you.

6. Ask for help when you need it.

Seriously, this is really important. Whether it's help with school, work or anything else, always ask for help. As much as we like to think we know everything, we don't, and we can't always handle everything on our own.

7. Don't worry so much about popularity.

Yeah, it's awesome to have a ton of friends and be the "cool" person in school, but don't stake your life on it. Nine times out of ten, it won't make much of a difference in college whether or not you were popular in high school. Just have fun, hang out with who you want to, and stop stressing about what everyone thinks is cool.

8. Take advantage of summer break.

Even if you have summer breaks throughout college, there will come a time when you don't have them anymore. So take advantage of them, spend time with your friends, go to the lake or the river or the ocean, have campfires, make memories.

9. Take risks.

Do something spontaneous, do something wild, have fun. Don't live in your comfort zone in high school, because if you do, you'll stay there for the rest of your life. Nobody is going to remember what you do in high school as well as you will, so just have fun. Wear those flashy pants, dye your hair that crazy purple, get your nose pierced, take risks.

10. Get used to group work.

As much as we all hate it, group work doesn't go away. You'll have to work in groups throughout high school, college, and wherever you end up starting your career. Being able to work well with others will set you apart from the crowd, which will help in so many ways in your career.

11. Problems that seem big now, probably won't be in six months.

I know it can feel like that one breakup or that one fight, or that one embarrassing moment is the end of everything, but it's not. Most of the time, you'll look back and laugh at the fact that you spent so much time worrying about it.

12. Appreciate everything you can.

Appreciate your friends, because you might not be at the same school in a year. Appreciate your family because you probably won't be living with them in a year. Appreciate your teachers, because college professors are not the same. Appreciate where you are in life. You are at the prime spot in life - older people want to be young again, and younger people want to be as old as you are. Take a moment to step back, breathe, and appreciate it all.