1. Your friends here are your family

Without your family around you 24/7, friends become a very important part of your college life. They become your new family. You eat together, spend the day together, work together, and sleep together! It's amazing how you can find such a great support system within your friends. Sometimes, they can be the closest thing to a "second mom."

2. Time management is a must

With so many things to do, college makes you quickly realize how much time you really DON'T have. It's easier said than done, but once you gain control over your time management, you begin to see things a lot more clearly.... because you're not in a blur of rushing to get work done before the deadline.

3. Taking care of yourself is DETRIMENTAL

This one seems pretty self-explanatory, but you'd be surprised to know how many students actually don't take very well care of themselves. This is the time that I thank my parents for being so anal-retentive about my hygiene: keeping a clean workspace, doing laundry whenever possible, keeping my hands and body clean, getting enough sleep and water, etc.

4. Fight for what you want

College can be a challenge to most, and especially when it comes to specific classes or assignments, things are bound to get a bit crazy. But you shouldn't settle for that. You deserve better. You deserve the classes that YOU want to take. And if that means marching down to a professor's office and begging for an override into a class, DO IT. You're paying to be here, why not give it your best shot to make it the best experience possible?

5. Stay inspired

Between classes, extra credit, homework, papers, projects, work, social life, and daily duties, it's easy to get caught up in all the madness. It's important to have hobbies that you're passionate about. Don't let them go! Make time to relax and de-stress from all of the chaos by doing what you love; whether that be playing sports, going to the gym, painting, writing, creating, dancing, building, or even watching Netflix! If you're passionate about it, do it!

6. Experience everything

College can open up a world of opportunities for you, and it's important to take advantage of them. Life is all about trying new things, so why not take advantage of whatever your college offers! You'd be surprised with what you might find.

7. Ask for help when you need it

I know that everyone likes to think that they're independent in college, but if you think about it, no one is ever really independent–even outside of college. We're all interdependent on one another if you look at the big picture. I digress. My point is: if you truly think you can't handle something, or you just need help, don't be afraid to ask for it! After all, there's plenty of staff and students on campus that would be happy to do so!

8. We're all in this together (cue High School Musical music)

Working off of the idea stated above, we're all in this "game" together! And we're all here to help each other along the way. If you ever feel that you're going through a lot of trouble, or you just can't figure anything out, odds are there's at least one other person on campus (if not MORE) who is probably going through the same thing as you, or something similar. You're never alone. Even when we're in the "real world," we will all still have each other to learn from.