As a past college freshman, I feel that it is part of my duty to help prepare the future college freshmen of the world. After I made the hard decision of where I would receive my college education, some of my greatest experiences began to unravel. I would not trade my freshman year experience for anything else. College is an amazing experience and your freshman year will be unforgettable, but there are a few things to keep in mind as you tackle your first year of college.

1. Don't try to impress anyone but yourself.

If you are happy with the way you act and talk, then don't let a single person make you second guess yourself. Don't change your personality to fit in with a certain group. This is college. It is time for you to find yourself and become who you always have been. Your true self will attract the right crowd that will encourage you and make you feel the very best about yourself.

2. Don't make up excuses.

If you don't have a legitimate excuse to keep you from doing something, then take a chance and go for it. There will be so many amazing opportunities during your first year of college, and you should take advantage of everything that you can. Go to that party, sign up for that club, play on that team and never make up an excuse.

3. Don't cling to your high school friends.

College is a scary place. When there are only a few familiar faces on a campus of 35,000 people it is easy to hold on tightly to those few. I cannot stress how important it is to branch out and make new friends with different backgrounds and experiences. Investing in other people's lives will ultimately further your own. There are so many new perspectives and ideas on a college campus. Find a friend in each of your classes and make it a point to keep up with them outside of class. High school friends are great, but they will most likely drift apart as they make their college friends as well.

4. Don't slack off and expect to make up for it later.

Everyone is going to tell you that you can have fun your freshman year and then focus on school later in college. This can be partly true, but the grades you make your freshman year will be the foundation for your GPA the rest of your college career. Sure you can have fun, but just remember that your GPA will never fully recover from a carefree freshman year.

5. Never say no to new friends.

If someone sits beside you in a lecture hall of 200 students, odds are that they thought you looked the most approachable. They're new to this class and so are you. Say hello and maybe start up a conversation. You may just find a great new friend for the next couple of years instead of the next 50 minutes.

With these tips, I know that you will have a great first year of college. Now grab those books and sign up for those clubs because this is your time to be who you want to be.