Finals are wrapping up, and the first semester of the year is over. Friends have been made, tests have been taken and lessons have been learned. Throughout the past semester, I've learned many things, some of which I was expecting to learn and other things that nobody told me about.

My first semester in college taught me that being independent is hard, and that it is OK to call your mom when you're having a rough time. Sometimes taking care of yourself, going to class and making decisions that you're used to your parents making can seem impossible, but college is a learning experience, and your parents are always there to help.

I learned that it is important to study, even if you didn't have to in high school. I was always the kind of student that didn't study much in high school and somehow managed to get by with good enough grades, but college is a whole new game. I ended up studying for my art history class more than I studied for every class in high school combined.

This semester taught me that friends change a lot in college. You might be super close with someone for a week and then go two weeks without speaking to them, and that is perfectly OK. You don't have the same classes with the same people every day like in high school, so friends naturally change depending on who is busy and who is not during the week.

I learned that you can write a paper 15 minutes before class. Even though professors are constantly saying not to wait until the last minute to complete an assignment, at one point or another, you'll have to write a paper in a short amount of time. It's possible, but it's also best to avoid the situation all together if at all possible.

College taught me that being a picky eater is not easy with a meal plan. You don't get to pick what the dining hall serves for lunch, and sometimes, everything looks disgusting. There will be times when cereal becomes an acceptable food for dinner, but finding one thing that you really like in the dining hall will make the whole dreadful experience a bit better.

I learned that while constantly hanging out with friends is fun, sometimes you need alone time. Going out with friends, watching movies with your roommates and hanging out in one room together can be really fun, but sometimes it's OK to say no and enjoy a night of binge watching "Sherlock" instead. Being constantly surrounded by friends is nice, but it is OK to make time for yourself when you think you need it.

Being in college for only one semester definitely doesn't make me an expert, but the things I've learned so far will help me tackle the upcoming semesters with ease.