Everyone has a way to make it through the school year. Some people are studious and get all their work done as soon as it's assigned, people like myself, on the other hand, choose to have their fun now rather than later. So these are a few tips and tricks to help you survive your first year of college.

1. Don't rush to class.

Professors aren't the same as a high school teacher, meaning most won't care if you're late. They might glance at you and make a comment that only they will laugh at, and if the professor is ballbuster, they may even dock some attendance points. Beyond that, normal classes are pretty relaxed, it's the test days that you need to be ready to sprint across campus for.

2. You have a lot of freedom, take advantage of it.

Being away at college gives you more freedom to do almost anything you want or need to do. You can study at a friend's house or the library until 3 o'clock in the morning with the only consequence being the attendance points for your 8 a.m.

3. Schedule your classes correctly.

You no longer have to be in school from a certain time to a certain time every day. Schedule your classes so you can go back to your dorm and get some sleep or finish up the last bit of homework before class.

4. Remember why you are here.

In the year I have been at school, I have seen too many people forget why they are at SCHOOL, and they get caught up in the social life. Make the sacrifice on a Saturday and study for a little bit and keep that 3.5 GPA that got you accepted in the first place.

5. Make as many friends as you can.

This should be a rule of thumb anyway, but make friends, because believe or not, people are pretty cool and may even help you with a class or two. You never know what people can bring out of you until you meet them.