When beginning your first year of college, there is no way to fully prepare yourself for what you are about to get yourself into. You can ask and read all about other people's experiences, but there is no college experience that will be remotely close to yours. Upon starting my freshman year, I had ideas about what I thought college would be like, but there are a million things that are absolutely not what I expected them to be, and for the most part, they are a whole heck of a lot better. They say, "you live and you learn," and throughout my freshman year I have done just that, regardless of whether or not I wanted to. The lessons I am taking with me from this year include the following:

1. Sleep is for the weak.

Okay, not really. The majority of us wish that we got more sleep, however, it just does not seem possible to get a "normal" amount of sleep each night. It just does not work out that way. From studying for exams, accidentally puncturing holes in refrigerators, or just being up laughing with your roommate, the sun seems to come up as soon as you close your eyes.

2. Fake it 'til you make it.

Sometimes when the world is crumbling down around you, you just have to stick a smile on your face and pretend everything is a-ok. However, I have found that what starts out as fake, usually becomes reality. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, and keep telling yourself that everything is going to work out. It always does.

3. It's okay to have no idea what the heck you are doing.

We are all now stuck in that point of our lives where we are no longer kids, but yet most of us are not quite ready to take on all the responsibilities that come with being an adult. We want to feel free and independent, but we are also now realizing that "adulting" is hard, and we really have no idea what is going on. It's fine though. Everyone is in the same boat, so you are not alone.

4. Beware of the plague.

This one may go along with the lack of sleep us college students seem to get, but more often than not, when one person gets sick, everyone gets sick. And whatever seems to go around is not your average head cold, its is much more nasty. So, get your Vitamin C, constantly wash your hands, disinfect everything you own, and watch out.

5. Coffee is my best friend.

I still have not quite learned that coffee is not a food group, and it has way more presence in my life than it should.

6. As a Music Major, I seldom get to see anything outside of the practice room.

Judging by the lack of empty practice rooms throughout the day, I know I am not alone on this one. If there are any breaks in a music majors schedule, majority of the time you will be able to find them in a practice room.

7. Forgetting or not having time to eat is a very common thing.

Kinda along the same lines, there are never enough hours in the day, and as crazy as it may sound, eating may be one of the first things to be thrown on the back burner. When your running around from class, to tutoring, to concerts, to club meetings, to practicing, to who knows what else, there just may not be time to eat. Or, sometimes I will so busy that I simply just forget. The nice part about this however, is that there is less need to worry about gaining that "freshman 15".

8. How to deal with being pushed way out of my comfort zone.

From my first day here, I have been pushed out of my comfort zone in so many different ways. I came into college not knowing anyone, so right away I had to leave the comfort of familiarity to start something new. As the year continued on, came more scenarios that pushed me out of my comfort zone, however, each one became easier to deal with and more enjoyable.

9. Friends are SO important.

Like I said, when I came here I really didn't know anyone, and it really was frightening. There are so many people on a college campus, but yet it is still so easy for people to be lonely. Surround yourself with great people, befriend your peers, and make the journey worthwhile.