As we are nearing the end of January I can only look forward to one thing: graduation. As a senior in college I have been waiting for this day since I began my schooling and pursuit for higher education, and I can say that I am already feeling the relief begin to wash over me as May gets closer and the thought of purchasing my cap and gown floats through my mind.

While I am preparing for my final few months, there are a few things that I wish I could go back and tell myself when I first began this path in my life. It’s not all regrets, some are even reassurances. These are the things I wish I had known that would have made my transfer from high school to college and just the time in college a little easier.

1. No one is holding your hand anymore.

I don’t mean this literally, but as I went through high school it was mandatory to meet with your counselor to make sure you were set for graduating, you were applying to college and that just generally you were doing all right. Once you are in college, all of that responsibility falls on you. You had to set up the appointments, you had to figure out your schedule and you had to make sure you were keeping up and staying on track. There were times when I had to meet with my advisor just to vent, and she was very helpful with all of the self-doubt I had, but I also realized that this counselor had more than the 70 kids I had graduated with at my high school.

2. Always buy a planner each year.

This is definitely something I wish I had done. Having planners given to you in high school was an every year thing. You wrote down important meetings, homework or just used the "Notes" page to doodle during class. In college, I never bought a planner until this year, and this year is proving to me that I should have been doing this sooner. Keeping track or organization meetings, finding time to schedule class and work are all things I wish I were keeping track of better as I was going through college. I now keep a calendar by my bedroom door, a planner in my backpack and one in my wallet. It helps to keep a physical one, one to take quick notes, phone numbers, or to make sure you haven’t already made plans yet, all without having to recheck texts or emails through your phone.

3. Stress will happen and you need healthy ways to deal with it.

I’ve written about this a few times, but I am a stress eater. When you have a test to study for, a group project to do and a paper to write, the stress begins to build up and sometimes it’s hard to get out of the funk it puts you in. What I chose was overeating at the various food joints across campus instead of being conscious of a healthier and cost effective choice and packing my meals. What I was also doing was staying up late playing video games or watching Netflix instead of preparing for class or doing homework the night before rather than the morning of. Making time for yourself is a good thing to do as well, like taking a walk or even joining your campus’s gym. I forced myself to walk to all my classes instead of taking the bus in order to not only learn how to navigate campus, but to get off my computer and phone for that short time in between.

4. Take your time, and your professor's time.

This is something I wish more people drilled into high schoolers’ minds before going to college. It is okay to take your time with a class or an assignment you do not understand or even really know about. If there is a due date, finding the time to complete it relies on only you to make the time to do it. For me, an English major, who willingly took a psychology class thinking it “sounded cool," and found myself barely getting 70’s on each exam or taking the time to study was the wake up call I needed right before the start of my last semester. In addition to a planner, schedule time to meet up with your professors or teaching assistants. They are there to help. It is OK to come to them utterly confused or unsure, because they are required to provide office hours and their help—it’s what they’re paid for! If you can’t face that, then reach out to a fellow classmate or create a study group. Anything is better than sitting alone in your room struggling on a assignment the night before it’s due.

5. Be involved.

This is the biggest mistake I made while I attended a four-year university. I was a transfer student so I felt because I wasn’t connected to campus, I didn’t deserve to be there. I pushed myself my junior year to join a few clubs and a lab, and it was here where I felt the most comfortable because I was involved in groups with like-minded individuals who were into the same things as I was. I sometimes felt that this was enough, but I still never pushed myself to ever go to a sporting event, a rally or even out to the regular bars on Thursdays and Fridays. I feel that my failure here is what also lead to more stress in my life because I wasn’t making the time to just let loose and enjoy the college life. There’s nothing wrong with being focused on grades and just school in general, but engaging with campus lifestyle is what makes life a little easier and a little more worthwhile as you attend. So my advice is to go to that party, or lab meeting, or even the movie showing or rally. Interaction with your peers is what makes the campus come alive and what makes it into the small society it is.

College will be everything you want it to be if you take this advice. I'm sure there will be a lot more you will learn along the way, more things that can and will be added to this list as students and college continue. My best advice is to keep going and keep trying. Even with following all of this advice, there will be new experiences and differences across all campuses that you will have to adjust to. The college experience is what you make it to be, and I just wanted you to find it easier and to know what you're headed for.