Making it to college is a huge deal. So congrats! You made it. For most people, college comes with a whole new part of life. You're in a new place with new people. You are no longer in the comfort of your parents home. You have to learn a few things on your own. I've been in college for two years now, and with that time I have amounted a great deal of experience and wisdom on how to live on campus -- or at least I think I do. Here a few things you need to know.

1. This is a sponge.

In college, if you live in a dorm or any facility without a dishwasher or a mom, you will need to own one of these. These will help you to clean your dishes so that you may keep them for later use. Buying paper plates and paper silverware may seem tempting, but the cost adds up. If your'e like most other college students, you are broke. Knowing how to wash your dishes is a good way to keep change in your pocket to buy food. With this, you will also require dishwashing liquid. I suggest the blue Dawn kind, or whatever knock-off brand you can afford.

2. How to do laundry.

Now, you may think, I've done this before, I think I can handle it. But use caution, young padawan, as challenges that you may not have encountered before may come to light. Here are some tips:

Keep quarters handy. You never know when you have an accident and have to get to a washing machine ASAP.

Pour detergent in first, never directly on clothes.

Try to get your clothes out from the dryer immediately after it finishes so you can hang it up in your room to finish drying. This way, they won't wrinkle.

Always check for small garments in the front bottom of the dryer. If you attempt to come back later, it will no longer be there.

3. Learn how to talk to your roommate about problems.

No, not like this. Leaving notes is one of the most immature things you can do. Do not leave notes asking your roommate to take out the trash, restock the fridge or return that pair of Nike shorts she borrowed. Nothing is more annoying. Talk to your roommate about small problems like this before they become big problems. The only kind of notes you should leave them are ones that say, "Thank you for cleaning our bathroom" and "Have a nice day, roomie!"

4. Befriend your RA.

You do not want problems with the resident assistant. If they like you, you may get away with little things like a room that isn't cleaned for room checks or visits after midnight. However, if the RA does not like you and you step out of line, I hope your parents have money because you can, and most likely will, be fined. Plus, they're students just like me and you and are usually really nice and helpful. They'd rather not have to get on to you about anything.

5. Learn how to park.

First of all, learn how to parallel park. If you cannot, you will get in everyone's way, possibly get a ticket or get hit. Also, the best times to find a parking space is at 5 p.m., or after, so try not to go anywhere during the day if you don't have to, especially when grocery shopping. You don't want to carry a bunch of heavy groceries half a mile away.

6. Don't forget your key fob.

It would be smart to get a small wallet that will fit your student id and attach your key fob to that. You will need your student id to eat anywhere on campus and you'll need your key fob to get back into your dorm.

7. Schedule your shower time.

Get with your other suitemates to compare class schedules to figure out the best time to take showers. There's nothing worse than having to go to class and having to wait to take a shower.

Some other small tips are as follows:

If you have a small room, like in Cowarts, bunk your beds or lift your beds on cement blocks so that you have extra space underneath!

Be courteous to your suitemates. You share a bathroom with them. So much could go wrong.

Buy food from Herb's Place and Trojan Center to stock your fridge and save money. They have many of the essentials you need!

Do not smoke weed in your room. Period. There are vents in every room. The whole hall will smell it.

Stay strong, my fellow dorm dwellers.

Sincerely,
Campus resident veteran.