I've just finished/survived my first week of college, and a lot has happened since my move-in day. There was an equal amount of good and bad throughout this past week, but living in a dorm with my family 7 hours away isn't as blissful as it might seem. I've grown to realize the very real truth about college life, and here are a few things to think about when you're getting ready to move out and start anew for college:

1. Your relationships

Maybe you had a lot of friends in high school that you're set on keeping throughout college, or a significant other that you want to stay with, but it's a lot harder than you think. Sure, there may be instant connections whenever you see each other again, but college life can get in the way of relationships as time goes by. You won't know how busy you'll be until you start experiencing your new lifestyle firsthand; and if that means you'll lose time to constantly video call/text your friends, it'll happen. Relationships can be stronger than that, but the reality of it is, sometimes you'll just get farther apart from certain people. There's no need to fret because it truly identifies who's there to stay and who you can't get rid of; and if you hated everyone in high school, then you can start anew!

2. Schoolwork/Extracurriculars

Maybe your high school sucked and it didn't allow you to be as involved in as many extracurricular activities as you wanted to be, or it didn't give you the opportunity to do more schoolwork than you preferred (wow). College is very different from high school. There are so many clubs that you can choose from, and the workload and curriculum can get crazy. College is the time to decide what you want to pursue; you can focus more on classes, or you can try a bunch of new clubs and have a well-rounded lifestyle. There are so many programs that relate to your major, or just to your interests, such as dancing, sports, etc. You can decide what type of person you want to be in college, so make the most out of it!

3. Health

Freshman 15 is very, very real; or if you're like me, it can be Freshman -15. The important thing is that you take care of yourself. College can and will be killer for many of you, and although your schoolwork is important, you need to learn how to put yourself first. I've seen many people gain weight from eating so much unhealthy food during their free time. From personal experience, I've also seen others, like myself, lose weight because they were so busy trying to catch up with work or get more involved in the clubs and programs around them. Just remember that you cannot do anything at your fullest potential if you are not taking care of yourself. Even if you have to force yourself to eat or drink, do it! Watch your diet and make sure that you feel physically and mentally ready to go on with your day.

4. Lifestyle

Many first-year college students will be living in a dorm, and will most likely be sharing a room with someone else. Your lifestyle is key to your college experience. In short, do your best to be polite and considerate while staying true to who you are. This means, if you're naturally a messy person and your roommate is the exact opposite of you, at least be messy on your side of the room. When you're in college, you're living with so many other people, and you'll instantly see what good/bad habits you have after a few days. I'm basically saying, if you have a habit of leaving your dirty underwear in the shower, you got to stop; unless your roommates are okay with it, then do whatever you want.

College can change you in so many ways, but it's up to you on how you want to change. Just make sure to consider your relationships, your schoolwork, your extracurricular activities, your health, and your lifestyle along your way to that degree. Good luck in college!