Well, well, well, it is finally your time to go away to college. You may have been thinking about this day since kindergarten or this day may have jumped up on you. Either way, the day is coming up, and it is coming up fast. You are probably feeling many different emotions at the minute, and they're all valid. The last decade and a few years have been spent in school, and I'm telling you now that college is very different.

For most people, their freshman year is their first year having this much independence. And, as nice as it is, it must be taken with responsibility. Now, instead of your parents waking you up for school when you snooze your alarm a few too many times, you have to be the one to wake yourself up.

It isn't all bad, though. This time will teach you all kinds of responsibility you never knew existed. Use your time wisely.

Being in a dorm is a total 180. Your entire living space is most likely the size of just your bedroom at home. Your roommate may be someone you know or someone you met on move-in day.

Either way, this shoe box of a room will become your new home over the school year. Sure, you're both cramped and probably thinking of the days you spent in your own house with your own space. Believe it or not, though, you may actually start enjoying the three by five room you share.

Even if you don't, you're going to be living there for the nine months, so make them count.

It may be hard to open up and make new friends, but it really is worth it. Take it from me, I missed my friends from home more than I could have imagined, and even though I was stuck in my ways and didn't want to open up, when I did, it got a little easier to be away from home.

Make friends with your roommate too. Even if your "likes" are on opposite ends of the spectrum, make an effort as much as you can. You don't have to be attached at the hip or do literally everything together, but having someone you live with not be at least your friend may make college a lot harder.

Although college will be fun, school is still a priority, and you will have to make an effort. The best thing to do is to try to meet people in your class to have study groups with or even have someone help explain something about the class that you're unsure of. Having other people doing the same homework as you and studying for the same tests as you will definitely help. They will help to keep you accountable, too.

Knowing that you and a few people are getting together to study, it almost forces you to get a little familiar with the material. Getting a tutor also helps; it doesn't mean that you aren't smart or that you cannot do it alone, but having another person to help you with your work is always helpful,

Take this year to grow as a student, but most importantly, grow as a person. Take some time for yourself, whether it is taking one day a week to get food or coffee by yourself or taking a break from cramming math to lay down and take a breather.

Although grades are important, you are the most important. College is a time to meet new people, go to sports games and more, but it is also a time for you to grow. The independence is great, but needing to take a day to relax or needing to take to your family instead of going out with your friends is totally acceptable.

Think about others, but do not forget to think about you, too.

College can be the best four years of your life, and it all starts with freshman year: make the best of it.