Freshman year can be a crazy time. It’s a whole new experience. You’ve left the house and are out on your own. It can be hard to adjust to your new college life, so here are a few things I wish I had known during my freshman year.

1. Don't buy your books early.

You’re going to get loads of emails before your first day of classes. Most of those emails will be from professors, teaching assistants, or course coordinators giving you the rundown of how the course will go, and what materials are needed for the class. Don’t get the books yet. Books are expensive, and there is nothing as bad as buying a book early, opening it, finding out you don’t need it, and now not being able to return it. Just take my word for it, hold off.

2. However tempting, don't skip class.

Attendance isn’t required in some classes, I get it. There’s such a strong temptation to not go then, and you’ll tell yourself, “oh, I can just look over the lecture slides and take the notes myself”. But, you probably won’t. If you don’t go to classes, you fall behind quickly, and it is extremely difficult to catch back up. It will be in your best interest to just go and endure the lecture.

3. You may not hear from your friends from high school.

And that’s okay. Freshman year is a very busy time for everyone. Even if you go to the same school, the likelihood of you guys seeing each other is very slim, between conflicting schedules and the thousands of other students on campus. You may not hear from them for a while, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t still friends or that they don’t care.

4. Naps aren't just for babies.

Naps will become one of your very best friends during your freshman year. For most people, this is the first time you haven’t had eight straight hours of school, and it’s awesome. Going home and taking a short nap between classes can be very refreshing, just as long as you aren’t using your naps as means to get out of doing your homework.

5. Procrastination is your enemy.

Ah, my arch nemesis procrastination. Yes, the college schedule is super nice, but it leaves a lot of opportunities for you to put off your work. It gets easy to wait to do your work, “if tomorrow isn’t the due date, then today isn’t the ‘do’ date”. Don’t fall into that trap. Once you get in it, it’s hard to change your ways. It’s a never-ending cycle you really don’t want to begin.

6. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

It can be intimidating asking someone you don’t know for help, but it is in your best interest. Professors and TA’s have office hours for a reason, if you are confused on something from lecture or your homework, go to them. During office hours, it is easier to understand what the professor is explaining, versus during lecture, especially if it is a large lecture.

7. Try to make friends in your classes.

Classes are hard. Having a friend in your class can make that easier. Even if it’s someone to complain to about different issues you are facing, it’s nice. Then, if you do have to miss class, you have someone that you can count on that has detailed notes instead of the skeleton ones that are posted online. It’s nice to have that extra support to get you through the semester.

8. Don't freak out if you fail your first exam.

Maybe you never had to study for tests in your previous years of school. Believe me when I say that doesn’t work in college. The exams are much harder, and you need to make sure you get a couple of quality study hours in before those exams. But, if you do happen to fail, it’s okay. It isn’t the end of the world, and that one exam won’t make or break your grade. Learn from the things you did or didn’t do leading up to your exam, and change them before the next one.

9. Learn to cook.

You can’t live off ramen and McDonald’s for an entire year. Well, you can, but that isn’t a very healthy lifestyle. The Freshman 15 is a real thing. If you live on campus, then you have the benefits of the dining courts, but even those aren’t open all of the time and it is much easier to learn how to make a few easy things that you can rely on in a time of need.

10. Most importantly, be yourself and have fun.

This is the big one. People are going to like you for who you are, so it is very important that you just be yourself one-hundred percent. College is supposed to be the best years of your life, so live it up and enjoy all the many experiences your university has to offer.

Try to keep these tips in mind, but more importantly, just enjoy your freshman year and the new world you are experiencing.