I had high expectations for college. I remember hearing all the time that college was the best four years of your life. Whether it was from a famous person or my sisters, I heard it nonstop my senior year of high school. I remember thinking, if these years were supposedly the best years of my life, I better pick the right school and make the most of my time. I also recall the wise words my sister told me before packing up and leaving the state. She said, “You have to choose between the three: school, social life, or sleep.” I thought she was joking, but she was spot on.

My freshman year I picked two: school and social life. I constantly remind myself of something my Grandfather always says, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” You may think this seems unreasonable...and maybe it is, but it sure makes my life busy, productive, and fun.

To ensure you have fun in college, you cannot be shy. You learn that college becomes its' own lifestyle that you choose.This is the time in your life where you aren’t a full adult, but you aren’t a teenager anymore. You are in this weird, beautiful, fun in-between state of freedom without full responsibility. It’s fantastic. You're responsible for your actions, but you also have the excuse of “I’m just a college student.” You are expected to make mistakes and to still act young. (You are also supposed to learn from these mistakes). You are on your own, but not supporting yourself fully. Your only job is to make sure you pass your classes and graduate on time. If you pick two of the three, this is an easy and doable task.

My advice for people who aren’t having fun or are new to college? Don’t be shy. Live without regrets. Go out on a Monday night if you are given the opportunity. Go to every date party function. Explore the new town you live in. On snow days, hang out with friends, don’t just sleep all day or try to get ahead of school work. Take advantage of days off. Have fun. In the real world, you won’t have these opportunities and you won’t have enough time or money to do these things. Stay active. Plan activities for you and your friends. Make each other go out on adventures.

School is important, don’t get me wrong. You have to get good grades to stay at your beloved school! So make sure you get things done whenever you have time (preferably earlier in the week), so that you have enough time for the fun. Start your papers early so you have time to hang out with friends. Be smart. Plan wisely.

For people like me, I am only in Oklahoma for four years of my life. I want to do everything I can while here. I want to try all the restaurants and activities. I want to attend everything. Because although I claim I will visit Norman all the time after graduation, who really knows when I will be back? Nothing is permanent. So make the most of your time.

The reason I am happy and doing college the right way is because I take full advantage of every opportunity. I make sure that my friends and I go out and have fun. I want to have the best four years of my life. So far, I definitely am doing college the right way. These past two years have been full of fun, and I can’t wait to have more fun in my last two years. College goes by fast, so make the most of it.