1. Your high school GPA will NOT matter in college. Like, at all. It might get you a few scholarships, but other than that, nobody cares.
2. High school definitely isn’t/wasn’t the best four years of your life. Honestly, whoever made that saying needs to reevaluate his or her life choices.
3. Don’t go into college thinking you won’t make any friends. You will, and they will most likely be just as terrified and excited as you are.
4. JOIN. CLUBS. Seriously, I can’t stress this one enough. Clubs are the greatest way to make friends with similar interests as you, and they look great on resumes. Don’t be afraid to go to a meeting alone; I promise you won’t regret it.
5. Who you were in high school does NOT have to be who you are in college. That’s the joy of starting fresh: you get to completely reinvent yourself and shed off those dreary high school labels.
6. Learn to love coffee, because it’s going to be your best friend the next four years.
7. Absolutely do NOT take a class before 9 a.m. thinking, “If I did it in high school, I can do it in college.” Trust me, you can’t, and you won’t. Save yourself the bad attendance grade and just aim for the 10 a.m.s.
8. You will drift apart from a majority your high school friends, and that’s okay. You’re all off starting new adventures and becoming new people, and that’s what college is all about. It doesn’t mean you don’t care about each other. It just means you’re moving in different directions.
9. Your best friend will still be your best friend. For me, one of my biggest fears was losing my two best friends when I moved away to college, but it didn’t happen. If you’re truly inseparable, you’ll find a way to make the distance work.
10. Get a credit card, but don’t go crazy. Just use it to buy gas or dinner here and there, and always pay it off immediately at the end of the month. This will help you build credit and prepare you for when you want to do something like buy a car, rent a house, etc. Trust me, it takes a while to build up credit, so the sooner you start, the better.
11. Don’t spend your entire summer counting down the days until move in. Spend this time hanging out with the friends you won’t get to see once you leave and of course your family. You’ll miss them all when you leave, so make the most of the little time you have.
12. Don’t grow up too fast. Just because you graduate high school or turn 18 doesn’t mean you’re an adult. Trust me, once you get your first mound of bills in the mail, you’ll wish you could run back to the days when someone cooked you dinner and your idea of a job was babysitting the neighbor kid.
13. Your parents are literally wells of wise knowledge, ready to spout out their opinions at any given moment, warranted or not. Don’t be afraid to listen to them, but also don’t be afraid to make your own decisions. Part of the joy of moving out is that you don’t HAVE to take their advice.
14. Talk to your parents. They gave birth to you, they love you, and even if you don’t have the best relationship with them, they miss you. Even if it’s just a quick text here and there to let them know how you’re doing, they’ll appreciate that you’re making an effort and be happy to hear from you.
15. Your relationship with your parents will improve after you move out. I know, looking back, I never would have believed this to be true for myself, but it is. Sometimes it just takes a little space and time away from each other to remember how much you really do value and care for one another.
16. It’s okay to drop a class. Don’t make a habit of it, but sometimes things just happen and certain classes take precedence over others. It isn’t the end of the world. Almost everyone ends up dropping at least one class by the time they graduate.
17. Make friends with your RA. Seriously, not only are they great and fun underneath the strict work demeanor they put on for your dorm, but they can help you out in some sticky situations. It goes a long way to be friends with the people that can get you out of a lot of trouble.
18. There’s more to life than Netflix. I know, I know, it’s hard to believe, but there’s a whole world out their waiting for you to explore. Don’t always opt for a Grey’s Anatomy binge session.
19. Go out with your friends. Even if you don’t like going out, you should make a point to do so at least once every month. Whether that be to the bar or the movies, you need social time.
20. If you’re going to use a fake ID, get one with your face on it. Trust me, it’s a lot less questionable than borrowing someone’s that looks nothing like you.
21. Don’t drink and drive. There are SO MANY options to get to and from parties and bars that this shouldn’t even be considered. Safe Ride, Safe Bus, cabs, designated drivers — all of these are great options. Don’t be stupid.
22. Talk to your professors. Seriously, teachers love to see you contribute in class, and if you make an effort to get to know them and maybe ask about their weekend before class starts on Monday, it will almost always reflect on your grade positively, whether they admit to it or not.
23. Ratemyproffesor.com will be like your Bible when it comes to deciding who to take for what subject. Use it well. (It also tells you if the teacher is attractive, so added bonus.)
24. Don’t buy your textbooks until you’re actually assigned something from them. Take it from someone whose wasted hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars on books that remained in the plastic until finals. It’s not worth it.
25. Don’t buy your books at the college bookstore. Amazon is your friend.
26. Take the stairs. The freshman 15 is real and it is fierce. You have been warned.
27. Go to a college sporting event at least once. It’s part of the experience, and even if you hate sports, you can at least say you did it.
28. Lastly, remember that college is about figuring out who you are. It’s okay to mess up, it’s okay to have literally no idea what you want to do and it’s okay not to be okay. Just don’t stress out too much, and enjoy the ride.