Congratulations, you survived high school! Totally kidding, but in all seriousness, congrats on closing such a big chapter in your life and opening the door to probably some of the best years of your life. With most college decisions and requirements out of the way, Fall is rapidly approaching, and I know that college has probably consumed about 99 percent of your brain by now. Trust me, there is a method to the madness, and the end result is pretty great. Yes, the months leading up to moving in can be quite a stressful or even worrisome time for most. Luckily for me, that was not the case, but rest assured that those stressful times will make for some of the greatest times. Although my experience leading up to college was practically stress-free, there are definitely some things that I wish I had known to guide me along the way. Here are some of those things:

1. You won't need all of those Pinterest pins.

Coming from the girl who had almost 100 pins worth of college things on her Pinterest board, you will never use or even read them all. Yes, those gummy bear bribing study tips may look super helpful at the moment, but I promise you will just eat all the gummy bears and not study (may or may not have learned this from personal experience). I will commend Pinterest for its amazing decor ideas but whatever you do, do not go by the college packing lists which lead me into my next piece of advice.

2. Pinterest packing lists are a no go.

Coming from someone who is a list obsessed organization freak, packing lists from Pinterest are a big, fat no no. Avoid them at all costs! The truth of the matter is that these lists simply contain a ton of stuff that you don't actually need. I am all for packing lists, but honestly this is a packing list that you should make for yourself. You are never going to use those 3 sets of sheets or ironing board so don't waste your time, space or money. You will end up washing the same pair of sheets every time and who has the time to be ironing things? My advice to you is to simply sit down and make a list of things that you could not survive living in your house without, but make sure you take into account things that your parents typically provide (laundry detergent, hand soap, etc). This list should be all you need and you should be good, so happy packing!

3. Make your dorm your home away from home.

My dorm freshman year was literally just wall to wall white cinder block, and it felt like a prison cell. Dorms can be the most depressing and boring places unless you take the time to make them your own. You are going to be spending a lot of time in there whether it be studying, sleeping, or hanging out with friends so make it like your own little, cozy home. I personally brought a lot of homemade decor pieces and pictures from home which turned my depressing dorm into my new favorite place within a matter of minutes. Don't go out and spend all of your money on decorations, because simply putting up pictures or hanging lights can make a drab, four walled space, seem like home. There are tons of wonderful diy projects out there so check out Pinterest or Tumblr for creative ideas to spice up a boring dorm room. Home Sweet Dorm!

4. You and your roommate might not get along.

As obvious as this may seem, you never know whether or not you will get along with your roommate so don't get your hopes up. Make sure you are 100 percent honest when it comes to filling out your roommate survey, because they actually use these to match you with someone. You would be completely miserable if you got matched with someone that is the complete opposite of you just because you lied or blew off the survey altogether so, take it seriously and tell the truth. I was fortunate enough to live in an apartment-style dorm (four separate bedrooms and one bath) so I had my own personal space, but that is typically not the case. So make sure that you establish a system between you and your roommate if you are sharing a space, and make sure you both are respecting each other and your room because you will be spending a whole year together.

I was very apprehensive about what kind of roommates I would get, but I got incredibly lucky with three amazing girls who were a joy to live with. Unfortunately there was a small problem with one of the girls, but we ended up working it out in the end. Don't be disappointed if you and your roommate don't get along, because you will make so many amazing friends before you know it. Moral of the story: keep an open mind, expect changes, and make the best of it.

5. College can be hard so stay organized.

In high school, you had a teacher there to constantly remind you every day when your next test was, or when your homework was due. I'm sorry to tell you my friend, but college doesn't work that way. To be brutally honest, it doesn't affect your professor whether you fail or pass, so the ball is in your court. At the beginning of the semester, your professor will hand out a syllabus which contains all of the major dates and deadlines that you are responsible for keeping up with, and then it's all on you after that. No one is going to be there through every step of the way holding your hand so, I recommend you invest in a planner to help you. Personally, I would be completely lost without my planner. You never want to be that person who comes to class without the paper that is due on that day so do yourself a favor and get a planner (trust me, you will thank me later).

6. Utilize all of the campus resources.

College is incredibly expensive and you are ultimately paying for all of these services so, why not use them? Whether it is the counseling center to help you de-stress or the gym facilities to keep you healthy, they are all there to assist you. SO USE THEM!

7. Small dorm = no space

To be completely honest, I ended up not wearing half of the clothes that I brought with me or using the majority of things I brought from home. Don't over pack and only bring things with you that you will actually wear or use. Compared to the amount of stuff I moved into my dorm, I moved out with only a fraction of it because I sent a lot of stuff home with my parents when they came to visit. One great tip I recommend is only bringing the appropriate season of clothing with you and exchanging it out with the other season when you are home or your parents come to see you (this one is a real life savor!). Over packing is not usually like me, but college changed that so I have learned my lesson, and will definitely be packing super light this year.

8. GET INVOLVED.

Your college experience will be 100 times better if you get involved on campus - I promise! Joining clubs, organizations, and sports teams are the quickest and easiest ways to make friends on campus. After walking through the organization fair on my campus, I was actually overwhelmed by the amount of opportunities available to me so definitely look into all the activities available for you, and find something that interests you. Whether you decide to go Greek, join student government or play tennis, doing something that you love is vital to your college success. You will not only be building your resume and keeping busy, but you will also be having fun while you do it.

9. The Freshman 15 hath no fury.

Typically during freshman year all students are placed on a required meal plan, and since you are not actively paying "real" money for the food then you might find it hard to resist eating copious amounts at a time. That's where the freshman 15 comes in and boy is it real; it is easy to gain 15 pounds before you know it ,so you have to be very careful. My advice to you is to make sure you utilize your meal plan, but make sure you are not abusing it either or you will regret it in the long run when all of your pants don't fit properly. Oftentimes there is some sort of gym facility on campus so take advantage of it, and fight the daunting Freshman 15!

10. Parties are temporary, your GPA is not.

It goes without fail that college is known as the cliche of partying 24/7, drinking numerous amounts of alcohol, and never going to class. It might sound lame, but make the right decisions. Yes, college may be the time to have fun, but that fun is not worth your education or even your life. Make smart decisions. Don't put partying over your education, it will get you nowhere and you will ultimately be wasting thousands of dollars just to have fun.

11. Just say yes!

College is full of so many opportunities and it is easy to get caught up in saying no. There are so many opportunities that are missed when you say no, so try saying yes for once. Think before you say no, you never know what you might miss.

12. You will have the time of your life!

Get ready for the best years of your life, because ready or not, here they come! Time flies when you are having fun so make the most of it. Not everything will go your way, but don't let that get you down, because you live and you learn. Everything will work out in the end, so cherish what you have while you have it, and just enjoy college!