In the short time that I've been in college, I have picked up on a few things they don't prepare you for in high school. Yes, college is a completely different environment with different rules and circumstances to follow. You have the freedom to do pretty much whatever you want, but should you?

Think about it. If you skip class one day a week, that's a total of about 15 absences per semester. What did you miss from class? Was it worth the extra hour of sleep you got on those days when you showed up to take your final and realized you knew nothing on the exam?

Think about it. Your professor says your paper is due three weeks from today. That's plenty of time, right? You don't have to get started today, right? What happens when you keep telling yourself that for the next two and a half weeks? All of a sudden, you're pulling an all nighter to finish a six page paper that only got a C. Was it worth all the extra time you spent hanging out with friends or goofing off around campus?

Think about it. Your parents called and said you needed to stay on top of your finances. They're running a tight ship back at home and need you to pull some of your own weight. No problem, getting a part time job is easy. What happens when you show up late because you stayed up all night to finish that paper and you overslept for work? What happens when you have to work late and get home after midnight, only to find you had an assignment due at 11:59 p.m.?

Think about it. Your friends want to throw a huge birthday party for someone in your group and they want everyone to pitch in for food, drinks and gifts. But you don't have the funds to do so because all of the money from your job goes to student loans and personal expenses. Did I mention the battery died in your car and you have to replace that, too?

Think about it. You've spent all this time trying to be the perfect college student, making an appearance at every social gathering and spending way too much time away from school and homework to focus on the most important things: your education and your future.

It's too easy to push things aside in college. A small portion of what they tell you in grade school is right. You do have the freedom to do as you please, but is it really worth it? My advice to anyone struggling to balance school and fun is this: work hard during the week and play on the weekend. If your friends are really your friends, they will understand how important it is to you to make the grades and keep your boss happy. Going to that party is not the most important thing on your Wednesday night agenda, trust me.