Turning 20 comes with the harsh reality that you aren’t a kid anymore – you have to start adulting, like going to the grocery store and stuff...which is incredulous considering a good number of the 20 year-olds I know can barely do laundry without calling their mom for help. But just missing the mark of being fully independent isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Lucky for us, these college years allow us to ease into adulthood, rather than facing it head-on and ending up on our butts. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no where near an expert in the concept of having your life together, but I will say that I can recognize thriving, or lack thereof, when I see it. These are a few of the things I’ve learned in the past year that have helped make life a little less chaotic.

1. Invest in a planner.

And not just some random pick-up from the bookstore. Get a planner with a good amount of space, one with both calendar and weekly pages (so much more room for your activities). Figure out what method of planning works best for you. Personally, I stay most organized when I use the calendar blocks to mark important events and test/project due dates, and use the daily columns as a to-do list. Writing everything down will help you remember it, as long as you actually use it.

2. Cook a meal.

We’re talking real meals here people. This may be hard to hear, but you can’t live off of easy mac and chicken nuggets forever. Find a recipe (there are literally thousands online for FREE) and go to the store for the ingredients. A great tip for this is to split the cost between your roommates or a few friends. You can cook it together and make a super fun and memorable evening out of it for a low cost!

3. Do things alone.

I know that the idea of eating alone in public seems unimaginably painful, but I promise it’s not as awkward as you think. Spending time with yourself is one of the most important steps to growing up. There’s something tranquil about not having anything or anyone to worry about but yourself, even just for a few mere minutes. Try going to a restaurant alone, take yourself shopping, or spend your afternoon in a museum. Being alone with your thoughts is an amazing thing.

4. Read the news.

It’s vitally important to be an educated citizen of the world, and now is the perfect time to start. Subscribe to The New York Times at a student rate, pick up a free paper next time you see one on the street, or even get on an email list for something like The Skimm that gives you a small dose of the day’s headlines. It’s fun to be in-the-know, and your professors and parents will surely be impressed that you took the time out of your day to read something when you could've been on Insta.

5. Spend money on experiences, not things.

Food and alcohol (that isn’t worth the calories in the first place, let's be real) will only bring you so much temporary happiness. Instead, get a group together and go bowling, skating, skiing, or snow tubing. Maybe even do something as silly as karaoke night. You’ll be happy in the moment, but you’ll also make memories that will bring the feeling back again and again. It’ll be worth giving up two nights of Jack Brown’s and Burnett's next month.

6. Get out of town.

Instead of wasting a day in bed nursing your hangover on Saturday morning, be a little adventurous and take a day trip! JMU students are lucky to live within a few hours’ drive from Charlottesville, Washington D.C., Virginia Beach, and Richmond. Have friends pitch in for gas and check out some free museums, have a picnic on another school’s quad, or find yourself spending a day out on the water. A change of scenery can be really healthy for clearing your head and de-stressing from the pressure of being a college student.

7. Clean your room.

EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. It will only work if it becomes comes part of your routine! I constantly try to do this because it seriously makes getting ready in the morning a million times easier, but rarely make it for more than a few days at a time...which is why I’m still one of the most shambly humans ever…so clean you room, kids.

Adulting is scary and sometimes hard, but it is inevitable. We can choose to ignore it, delay it, and end up at rock bottom because of it, OR we can face it with the confidence of knowing we are strong enough to be successful. So go forth and prosper, y’all. Make these your new habits and let’s thrive together.