Monday's the day. You have your room assignment, you completed your college apps or transfer requests, you've earned the GPA, you were accepted into your school, and now you start your classes.

So now what?

For as long as you can probably remember, you've had the same rhythm and the same schedule. Wake up at 7 for your 8-3 school day, go to your classes neatly segmented into different subjects every hour, and maybe go to some meeting or game after school.

You got home and had someone tell you to do your homework, and sometimes you even listened; other times you were texting or reading or finding a creative way to procrastinate. A report card got mailed to your house every few months or so and after 12 years you got a paper with your name on it. Congratulations!

Nothing is ever going to be like that again. Sorry.

For some of y'all, college isn't in the cards right now, and that's fine. Go to work and make your money and do the best job you can. Nothing is set in stone and who knows, you might be applying next year! For those of you going to college, you just signed up for 4 years (maybe 5, no biggie) of long days, longer nights, and more coffee than you thought was humanly possible to consume.

As it says in my bio, I'm a third year engineering student. I've had my share of highs and lows; hell, I had to go to a different school for my second year because of financial problems. But here we are. We both start classes by the time this article is going to be published, and I wish you the best of luck.

From here, you're going to work harder than you thought you could, meet people as different from you as a literal X-Files alien, and sacrifice things you thought would never end. But, when the university President calls on your college during commencement, you're going to be jumping and screaming as loud as everyone else. Forget all the images of Animal House and Pitch Perfect. College is not a breeze. Yes, there will be parties and various shenanigans, but at the end of the semester there won't be a 4.0 in Keggers 101.

So, I'd like to offer you some advice. You might have heard the same things from your parents, high school teachers, or maybe a brother or sister, but they all bear repeating.

Go to class, even if the syllabus says attendance isn't mandatory. You're paying to be there, go get your money's worth, as well as all the notes and review questions that'll be on the final.

Actually read the book past the introduction page. $350 is too much to pay for a paperweight, and your professor will see your effort and look at that 88 percent more like a 90 percent. Maybe you’ll even find the subject interesting enough to change your major.

I'll be that person I mentioned earlier, do your homework. Some classes will have it listed as 5—15 percent of your overall class grade, and it can be the difference between a D and a C or a B to an A. It's not inconsequential. Something to add to this would be to visit your professor during office hours. I know it sounds as interesting as a lukewarm bowl of oatmeal, but as with reading your book, your professor will be more willing to help you out.

Past the class work, take care of yourself. Take a shower, do your laundry, wash your dishes, and all the little chores that keep your room from looking like someone tossed a grenade in there.

This semester is really part of a class you didn't sign up for, which is Intro to Adulting 101. It's part of the core curriculum (24 unit hours), you can't take it online, and it's only pass or fail. The professor for this class is one you'll remember forever, and one who has the ability to set you back or launch you forward. There's a new edition of the textbook every week and the homework is endless. But in the end, when you pass this class, you'll be set for the rest of your career. Good luck!

Also please don't binge drink, hospital bills are expensive and you have homework due tomorrow.