The first semester of college is full of surprises and a whole lot of change. It's a big transition for everyone but if it's anything like mine was, there are moments that you wish you didn't even go. I wish I could've had someone tell me these five things before I came to school because when you feel like giving up, this is what you need to know.

1. You lose friendships and that’s OK.

The transition from high school to college is hard on everyone I think. You might be best friends with someone in high school but when you get to college everything changes. You’re going to lose friendships, but don’t take it too personally. Sometimes people get wrapped up in getting the full college experience and they get so headstrong about meeting new people that they just forget all about you. Just look at it as a loss for them and seriously, don’t take it personally. You’re going to lose friends but trust me, their replacements are so much better anyways.

“God can restore what is broken and change it into something amazing. All you need is faith.” Joel 2:25

2. It’s OK to not go to that party.

You have a big test tomorrow or maybe it’s even next week but you use it as an excuse to stay in tonight. You just really don’t feel like going to a party and being social today. Maybe it’s just not your desired atmosphere for a Thursday night and that’s OK too. Yeah, when your friends dragged you to the last party you met cool new people and had fun but tonight you’d rather just watch a movie and stay in. It’s OK! Do whatever makes you happy and don’t worry about what other people will say about it.

3. It’s OK to feel lonely.

When you feel alone, don’t be sad about it. Take advantage of the time to find who you are. Discover the things that make you happy. Do whatever you want and focus on whatever you love. Turn to God for He is the one that allows your cup to run over. Find peace in your loneliness and allow The Lord to show himself as an ever-present help in any situation.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

4. It’s OK to fail that assignment.

Whether you knew you’d do terrible on it or it was a complete shock to you that you failed the test because you studied the wrong information. It’s fine. One failed assignment doesn’t mean you should change majors. It doesn’t mean you’re not smart. You’re going to have plenty of other opportunities to prove yourself to your parents and your professors so don’t stress because really, it’s all about trial and error. It’s fine.

5. It’s OK to have no idea what you want.

No you don’t have to have the next four years of your life perfectly planned out. You don’t have to know exactly what you want your job to be after college. It is okay to still be figuring that out. College is a lot about finding who you are and where you want to go in the world so use this time wisely to do that. Trust in God because He already has a perfect plan for your life.

"You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." John 13:7