1. It is cool to care.

It is not cool to get bad grades and hate your school. Caring about how you do in school is important, and so is your school spirit! Loving where you learn can make or break your college experience.

2. Grades do not define you.

Although grades are important, a letter or number does not define you as a person. College is hard and it is impossible to get by without making mistakes along the way. As long as you are trying your best and learning along the way, you are succeeding!

3. You need a planner.

You are going to have hundreds of events and appointments thrown at you during the year. Having a planner or a calendar makes is so much easier to keep track of everything and to stay organized.

4. It is okay to not know what you want to do with your life.

I do not think I have ever met anyone whose dreams did not change throughout his or her college life. It is okay to be unsure of what you want to do. A lot of people change their majors multiple times, and a lot of people continue to change their minds even after they graduate. What is important is that you are doing what you love.

5. Get out of your comfort zone.

There are going to be things in college that make you uncomfortable. Instead of running away from these things, you should run to them! Trying new things can help you decide what you do and do not like for yourself. Try new things as often as possible!

6. Going out is healthy.

Going out with friends can be healthy and a big part of your college experience. It is important to have fun and to be social. Try not to stay in your room every weekend; branch out and see what is out there!

7. There will be another party, finish your essay.

With that said, going out should not interfere with your schoolwork or grades. It is okay to have to miss the Thursday night party to study for your Friday test. There will always be another party.

8. You will make new friends.

You are going to meet so many new people! There will be people who are just like you and people who could not be more different. Be sure to keep an open mind and give everyone a chance.

9. You will lose old friends.

There are some relationships that we simply outgrow in college. This is natural and healthy! Everyone is going to change and grow, and some people grow apart. This is okay.

10. You will keep up with those friends who are important.

Do not worry about going to a different college than your best friend. You may not be able to see each other every day, but that will just make the times you are able to see each other even more special.

10. Call your parents.

Your parents will miss you, and believe it or not, you will end up missing your parents. Give them a call every now and then to see how they are doing and to let them know about your day. They will appreciate it more than you think.

11. The Freshman 15 is (sort of) real.

Gaining weight is something that happens to people naturally. College is a time to learn about your eating habits, and it is hard to stay healthy. While most of the time it is more like a “freshman 5" or “freshman 10," do not beat yourself up about a little weight gain. It happens to everyone, and most campuses have awesome recreational centers that you can utilize to stay healthy!

12. ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER.

Nobody believes it can happen until it happens to them. DO NOT wait until it happens to you to back up your computer! Something will happen to your computer. It might get dropped, stepped on, spilled on, or in my case, electrocuted. There are so many ways to back up your files! BACK THEM UP! Back up your back ups! There is no worse feeling than losing years of work due to a silly computer mishap, but it happens often and sometimes that work is gone forever.

13. Do what you love and make no exception.

Always follow your heart. College is about finding out more about yourself and what you want to do. Make sure that each thing you do is because you love it. If you wake up too many days in a row without love in your heart, it is time to change something.

14. Make mistakes.

There is no success without failure. Failure is where we learn, grow, and become who we are meant to be. Be proud of each mistake you make. Own it, learn from it, and grow from it.