I am a senior at College of Charleston, with less than a month until graduation. I have had an amazing college experience and am here to pass on a few pieces of advice for younger students to help make the most of your college experiences.

1. Make school your priority, but don’t forget to have fun

Do I sound like your mom yet? That’s cool; she’s usually right anyway. There will always be the people who go out of control when they get to college and forget what they're there for. There are also plenty of people who completely neglect their social lives due to stress. It’s all about finding the balance.

2.Take classes that interest you, not ones that a friend told you were easy

Sure you might be able to get an easy A in that theater class, but guess what? If you hate theater, it won’t be worth it. The classes I took because other people told me too, almost always ended up being the ones I hated going to. Look for classes that sound interesting to you. If you are interested in the class, my guess is it won’t be too hard for you. You might also find a passion you never knew you had, so don’t let the idea that a class might be hard keep you from taking it.

3. Be careful who you live with

No explanation necessary.

4. Don’t blow things off at the beginning of the semester

Calculating what you need to make on each assignment to make up for it isn’t fun. Those assignments are almost always the easiest anyway.

5. Get involved

Coming from a senior who is trying to find a real job, companies actually care if you were involved in school, who knew?

6. Develop relationships with your professors

I’ve always been someone who reaches out to teachers. Maybe that’s because I talk too much, but either way, I promise it is helpful to build relationships with your professors. College of Charleston is a small school. Take advantage of that and work with your professors. This will also come in handy when you get to be a junior/ senior and need recommendations as well as mentors.

7. Explore the city

We live in Charleston, South Carolina. Get to know the city and experience all it has to offer.

8. Talk to people in your classes

Don’t situate yourself in a group and stay there for all of college. Get to know people, again maybe I just talk too much… My point is don’t be shy; you could be missing out on some amazing relationships.

9. Be safe

Overall, I feel very safe downtown and on College of Charleston’s campus. It is easy to forget that we are in the center of a city and crimes do happen. Just be smart, don’t walk around by yourself, and if you do carry some pepper spray for God’s sake. They sell pepper spray as well as similar safety products at the bookstore. I will say I don’t love the selection- they’re all covered in pink glitter, which I find a little sexist, but that’s another issue. Be aware of your surroundings and don’t stumble home alone from bars. Common sense here people, but hey we all make mistakes.

10. Don’t waste your time on bad people

I am guilty on this one. I’ve spent way too much time giving people who don’t deserve them, second, third, and even fourth chances. Take it from me; they typically don’t change. This is college, don’t waste your time with crappy people when there are so many other people you could spend your time with. This goes for people who only bring negativity into your life; they’re not worth your time.

College is a time for figuring out who you are as an individual. Branch out and explore new things. Don't waste the short time you have in school being afraid to try new things or talk to new people. My biggest piece of advice for anyone in college is to not be afraid to be an individual. It's much easier to discover who we really are without constantly trying to fit in.