I breezed through high school. I studied as little as possible, did my homework at the last minute, if at all, and still maintained almost straight A’s. I was confident that college would be the same. I’d roll up to class, pay attention, take a few notes, and then enjoy my day. I was very wrong.

1. Showing up to class is non-negotiable.

While I wasn’t accustomed to ditching classes in high school, not showing up for class in college was more of my decision. In high school you risked a truancy ticket and a record. In college, you are solely responsible for showing up to class. The professor still gets their paycheck whether you show up or not. The class will move forward without you. You can expect an F, or a D for skipping too many classes. If you’re lucky, you might get stamped with an Incomplete.

Each day of class is a treasure trove of new information that you missed out on. Sure, missing one or two days won’t kill you, but making it a habit can tank your grade real fast. And if you think the professor is going to want to work something out with you to get your grade up after you’ve been sporadically attending lectures, you’re in for some bad news.

Show up to every class. Pay attention. Communicate to your professor anything that might be getting in the way of you being 100%. This way, your professor may be more inclined to work something out with you. Fair warning: don’t think you can lie your way out of things, they’ve heard it all.

2. If you’re assigned reading for homework, then yes, you DO have homework.

I can’t tell you how many times I scoffed at the syllabus whenever I saw that my only homework was to read. More often than not, the reading assigned contains vital information about the next lecture.

Most classes, regardless of subject, that assign readings should sound an alarm in your head that the class is information-dense. The professor knows that there is much to cover, so they place you in charge of keeping up pace with all the information you need to learn and will be tested on. Especially in social science classes, lectures will briefly touch on the reading, but the exams will expect you to have covered what is in the book.

Doing your reading assignment is sort of a litmus test for the professor to see who really is taking their class seriously. You’ll make your professor happy by being able to answer questions about the reading at the next lecture instead of being part of the large group who just blew it off and expected to learn the new information that same day. Not only will your professor be happy, but you will also have a better grasp of the material being covered.

Your library should be your second home.

For some reason it seems that even in college, many students avoid going to the library. Don’t be one of them. The library is your safe haven and can get you out of a pinch.

Most libraries will have printing, scanning, faxing and photocopying services for a small fee. This helps relieve the pressure of handling all of that on your own with a personal printer or dropping some hefty dough at an Office Max or Staples. The library can also save you money when it comes to your textbooks. Some professors, if not most, will reserve a copy of your assigned textbook in the library. This means that you could basically check-out your textbook for a few hours, do your homework or reading, and then return it, all free of charge. One semester I saved almost $300 by just planning my schedule to fit in a few hours at the library to use the reserved textbook.

Another benefit of getting to know your library is knowing all the quiet spots. A rule of thumb is that the higher up you go, the quieter and quieter it gets. So if you find yourself with a substantial gap between classes and are dying to sleep, go find yourself a nice little secluded corner to catch up on your sleep. And when the weather is either too cold or too hot, you’ll have a warm and toasty, or cool air conditioned place to find relief in.

If you can pack your own lunch, do it.

Every single campus dining hall seems to be full of fast-food joints. Now while these may seem like harmless options when you have some time between classes and you’re starving, they’re not the best idea.

You may encounter lines reminiscent of those at a theme park just to get a burger, fries, and a drink. You might end up paying a little bit extra for that meal than you would had you bought it outside of school. And while there aren’t too many studies on the “freshman 15,” impulse buying fast food meals out of convenience isn’t going to help keep off those unnecessary pounds.

It’s not just a health concern, but also an economic one. Buying those little lunches each time your stomach growls can add up. And unless your family is raking in the Benjamins, for those of us who aren’t, that money could be better spent on other things.

Packing your lunch means avoiding long lines in the dining hall, saving money, and frees up your time to eat when you want. Every university has microwaves scattered about campus so you can heat up your food. Dining areas are usually stocked with plastic utensils you could use and napkins. If you’re lucky, there might also be a condiment bar for you to spice up your home-made meal.

Routine is everything.

Coming out of high school, you’re used to waking up early, starting school around 8 am, and then being done around 3:30 pm. College isn’t like that. You’re allowed to come up with your own schedule. You could have all your classes on two days. Or have class all week. Maybe you prefer night classes because you like to sleep in. Whatever the case may be, make sure you make it a routine.

I made the mistake of scheduling my classes all over the place. I’d have a morning class at 7:30 am and then a break until 6 pm. By the time it was 5 pm, I was hating myself because I didn’t want to go, and all my friends were going to dinner or to study. That’s why you need a routine. If you’re used to bright and early, stick to that. If you can handle afternoon classes, or even evening classes, stick to that. The more you’re used to a routine, the better your chances of attending every class and paying attention.

Having a routine also allows you to better manage your time. You’ll have dedicated time for eating, working out, hanging out, partying, or even just napping. If you play a sport or are on some team or part of a club, you’ll have less time to lollygag. The routine ensures that your body acclimates to this new college life. This brings me to my next tip.

If you don’t have to work, DON’T.

This may be my most controversial tip. I’m not saying you can’t handle a job and school. I was working throughout high school and maintained good grades. But high school and college aren’t the same. The coursework is a lot more rigorous and you should first gauge how much of your time you’ll actually need to spend on school before you can start dedicating time to work.

Maybe you aren’t swimming in the green, neither am I, but making a few bills isn’t worth it when you’re straining to do well in school because you’re tired all the time or are now burdened with work responsibilities. Make sure you are actually capable of managing your time correctly before you start taking on other responsibilities for yourself. If working is not a necessity, then don’t add that extra weight on your back.

Finally…

Study partners are a blessing.

I don’t care how anti-social or shy you are. Break out of it. At some point or another you’ll be tasked with getting into groups and having to work on some project with complete strangers. Don’t wait for that to happen to make friends.

College life can be very difficult, or it can be manageable. Having trusty friends in each class is a blessing. They can help you catch up on the material if you miss a day. They can help you study for exams and quizzes. They can also offer opportunities to be taught, thereby reinforcing your mastery of the material being covered.

Study partners can become friends. They can become sources of moral support when you feel like giving up in class. Tough times will be easier to get through when you can talk it out with someone who is also a student and has their own set of problems.

Study partners keep you in check. Get you some.