COLLEGE. It’s a big step from high school. Going out into the “real world” can be pretty scary. Having to do laundry, keeping track of your schedule, managing all of your own work, paying bills. Sometimes all of it is a bit overwhelming. That first semester away from home is a different learning experience for everyone. It’s a time where people learn what procrastination really means, what their study habits are—or if they even have any—what it’s like to live with a roommate, and what the term “communal living” actually means. Here are some things that I learned from my first semester away from home.

1. Communal bathrooms will never really be “clean”

If you are given the opportunity to live in a suite with your own bathroom, TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY. I think most people who have to use a communal bathroom can vouch for me when I say that using a communal bathroom is awful. It’s like using a public restroom every day. And don’t assume that everyone on your floor has the cleanliness habits that you do. You may flush the toilet and wipe down the sink after you use it, but not everyone else has a good bathroom manner. Also, NEVER FORGET YOUR SHOWER SHOES. I don’t think I can stress that enough. You never know how well the cleaning people clean the communal restrooms, or even how often they clean them. At my own college, there was mold starting to grow in the showers, and you couldn’t even touch the walls without thinking you were going to get some kind of infection. So lesson learned: whenever you go into your communal bathrooms, act like a germaphobe and don’t touch anything.

2. Not all RA’s are created equal.

Some freshmen will say that they adore their Resident Advisor, that they’re super cool, and that they always help their residents out. Some will say that their RA is just a jerk, always yells at them, and constantly writes them up. And then there’s my RA: he doesn’t do ANYTHING. I’m pretty sure he hides in his room and just avoids all of his responsibilities. There have been so many nights where my floor-mates come home late at night and are obnoxiously loud, and he has never done anything to quiet them down or try to get them to be more considerate. If I didn’t know he was our RA, I would’ve assumed that he was just another freshman. No RA is ever the same. Some RA’s love their job, and some just do it so they can get free room & board and live in a single. So, during your first year, if you feel like your RA isn’t doing his/her job, do NOT be afraid to go to your Resident Director (your Resident Director is in charge of residence life in your building and is basically the boss of all of the RA’s). If they are great at what they do, get close to them! Your RA’s are supposed to make sure that everyone on the floor is following the rules, and they’re supposed to be there to help you transition into the next phase of your education. If you have questions about school or stress or studying, you can always ask them; they’re usually a year or two older so they’re a bit more experienced and usually have some great advice to give. Everyone deserves a great RA (I obviously did not get so lucky), so do whatever you can to make sure they’re doing their job and that you can go to them if you ever need anything.

3. All-nighters the night before an exam NEVER work.

When you’re in high school, it’s pretty easy to wait until the last minute and just study for a test the night before. Staying up later than usual isn’t the end of the world and you know you can just sleep in on the weekends to catch up on whatever sleep you lost. College isn’t like that. There’s so much more information in college that you need to learn and study, so trying to study it all in one night is never going to work. The best way to study for a test or exam is to start studying either a couple of days before or a week in advance; It’s A LOT less stressful than trying to cram 3 chapters worth of information into less than 12 hours. Also, when you stay up all night trying to study, your brain doesn’t have any time to rest or even process any of the information you tried to study. So, you could study all night for that chemistry exam, but if you don’t get any sleep, all of that studying could go to waste because your brain cannot function without sleep. You’re better off going to bed when you start to get tired instead of forcing yourself to stay up and study “just one more chapter."

4. Dining Hall food sucks, but the Freshmen 15 is still VERY real.

It’s no secret that eating at college is nothing like eating at home. As much as the dining hall attempts to make “home-cooked meals,” it’s just never the same as your mom’s cooking. Although the food sucks in the beginning, you get used to it because you have no other choice. You get used to the extra sugar and the extremely oily foods because as a freshman, you’re forced to buy a meal plan, and with those prices, you’re not going to waste a cent. With that being said, with all of these new food options, it’s pretty easy to just eat junk food every day when there are no restrictions. My school’s breakfast and dinner options are all you can eat, and at dinnertime, there is an ice cream bar. It’s not hard to get caught up in being able to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, but if you do, those pounds will pile on before you even know it. Be cautious of what you eat when you go away. The dining hall food may not be ideal, but it’s not impossible to try and find healthy alternatives. Since most dining halls have a lot of options, don’t settle for the first thing you see when you walk in. Look around and try and find healthy food in between all the oil and sugar. Eating healthy while you’re away is still possible, and you and your body will thank you when, at the end of the year, you don’t have 15 extra pounds from all that crappy dining hall food.

5. When the school offers events and activities for freshmen, go to those events.

It’s pretty common for the Student Government Association or Residence Life to set up events for freshmen to come out and meet people. For my school, they did a carnival, a tree lighting ceremony, and a trip into the city to go ice-skating, along with so many other events as well. If your school offers any events like that, GO TO THE EVENTS!!! Get a group of people together and go as a group or just go with your roommate. It will give you an opportunity to meet new people, or even get closer with the people on your floor, especially at the beginning of the year. Every other freshman wants to make friends too, so don’t be shy! You’d be surprised how many people you can just go up to and strike up a conversation with. You by no means have to go to EVERY social event that’s held on campus, but you’re not going to meet people by sitting in your room and watching Netflix all night. Go out, make some friends, and then you and your new friends can have Netflix-binging movie nights together (my roommate and I do it every Friday night).

Ultimately, college is a great experience. It’s a scary first step into the real world, but with the right people, it can be some of the best years of your life. Don’t be afraid to go out and make friends. Eat healthy. Study hard. Make a friend in your RA. ALWAYS wear your shower shoes. But most importantly, have fun. College isn’t always easy, but it is home for the next 4-6 years, so make the most out of those years and enjoy it as much as you can.