Graduating from high school has taught me many things that I never expected to learn. I find myself missing the weirdest things and have taken on a whole new perspective on the world. College is right around the corner and I am trying to get myself in the right mindset to make a smooth transition. However, high school has prepared me for the journey and has given me the opportunity to reflect back on what I know.

1. College Cannot Come Quick Enough

I find that I keep counting down the days until college move-in day on August 24th. Even after I browse Google and successfully find a countdown timer that tracks days, minutes and seconds until the specified date, I still pull out my agenda and re-count in hopes that it will make the days go by quicker. It always seems like the new "X" on the calendar space isn't enough. With college move-in day happening in roughly 50 days, the anticipation is killing me with each new day. I even started keeping a journal of the countdown to track my feelings each day leading up to the big one. Being the nerd that I am, I even numbered every page in descending order. I did this to relieve my high excitement levels. Personally, I do not think I have ever looked forward to one day so much.

2. You Actually Find Yourself Missing The Commotion That Occurs In The Halls

Surprisingly, you actually miss hearing everyone gossiping and laughing with their friends. You will miss being one of those people. Also, you just might miss the seventh graders who feel the need to carry duffel bags as backpacks. They are pretty amusing to watch as they struggle up three flights of stairs. However, you will definitely not miss all of the underclassmen drama that goes down in between classes. It's not fun having to listen to a girl complaining about her relationship issues for everyone to hear. Ain't nobody got time for that.

3. Despite Complaining All Throughout The School Year About Homework And Projects, You May Actually Find Yourself Missing Those Assignments

Now that I am free of pop quizzes and research papers until college starts in the fall, I have realized just how much time schoolwork has become part of my routine. With this lack of things to do, I have been jumping on every opportunity I can to fill out some new form. When my college, SUNY Oneonta, notifies me of a new step in the college process, I act quickly and complete it way before the deadline even begins to approach. And I have totally read 25 books this summer so far. I even keep track of each book on Goodreads.com and am halfway to my annual reading challenge goal of 50 books. Go ahead, call me a nerd.

4. You Must Keep Your Job Just To Pay Bills

Speaking of work, I have been working more often than usual. However, the loan counseling I was required to complete (not like I minded!) provided me with a reality check as to how much money I will owe after I am done with my college education. Seeing the numbers in all their six-digit glory has inspired me to take on more hours in an attempt to increase my savings. It has also forced me to create a stricter budget plan and monitor my money more carefully. It's wise for college freshmen to start thinking about setting up a job on their college campus. Most schools offer some type of work study program where you may actually be placed in a job setting that is related to your chosen major. Not only will it give you some experience in your field and look good on your resume, it will also help to pay off some of your college bills in exchange for work. Win-win.

5. Pizza As A Diet Should Never Be A Thing

While on the topic of changing my habits, I have learned that living off pizza alone is never a good idea. Yes, it tastes good and is relatively cheap to buy in the frozen food aisle or order from a local pizzeria. Despite this, your stomach will definitely regret it later. Also, depending on where you get it from, pizza grease gets everywhere and sometimes I am a bit too lazy to care enough to clean it up. Trust me, I am not saying that you need to eliminate pizza from your life altogether. It is just necessary to limit your intake and broaden your taste horizons a little bit. If that seems impossible, then scour Pinterest for a veggie-based pizza as a replacement for your usual triple meat supreme. Even better, invite your whole squad to come over and partake in your baking session.

6. You May Have To Change Your Eating Habits If You Want To Live A Healthy Lifestyle In College

Do you really think that eating Ramen and Kraft macaroni all the time will be enough to fuel you to get up and haul yourself to the gym in the wee hours of the morning? Even if you make it to the gym after devouring a bunch of processed foods, you still may not have enough energy to power through a killer workout. Another mistake that some people make is skipping breakfast before a morning workout. This habit is not good for your body because it may leave you feeling drowsy and sore after your session. Developing a steady balance between fruit, vegetable and protein intake is absolutely essential. A diet revamp may be just what you need in order to feel better. Personally, I have discovered that watching what I eat has shed some light on body confidence that I never knew I had before.

7. Organizational Skills Are Necessary When Going To College

I will admit, I have never been the most organized person. I used to go back-to-school shopping every year with a new promise to myself that I would remain organized; that lasted for maybe a week on average. After I got tired of sorting papers into color-coded folders, they would all seem to pile up into one folder. I know I have said this before, but this will be the year I get organized once and for all. I do not want to be that girl in college who always loses her assignments or waits until the last minute to do them just because she has to dig around for a while to find them. I even bought an agenda to keep track of homework and projects. I also look forward to extending my new-found organizational skills to my dorm room. I want to organize everything. Hello, Container Store!

8. Sadly, You Cannot Take All Of Your Clothes To College.

I am already starting to make a list of the clothes I will be packing for my first semester at Oneonta, because fall in New York brings weather that changes at the drop of a hat. However, I am a total shopaholic which causes the list to fluctuate from time to time. If I could, I would pack up my entire closet and bring it with me just because I tend to be indecisive. I like to have options when it comes to assembling outfits. I already know that I may be making some phone calls home requesting a certain clothing item to be mailed to campus. Although the closets at Oneonta are fairly big, there still won't be enough space for my addiction to clothes. I guess I will have to leave that at home.

9. Meeting Your Future Classmates Is Essential

Through Facebook, I have already met a majority of my new classmates. It has given me a chance to explore their hobbies and interests, share my own, and build new friendships before we even arrive on campus. Reaching out to them and asking questions has helped throughout the college process. That is also where I met my new roommate. I feel that meeting your peers ahead of orientation is a must so that you are able to pick out a couple friendly faces during your first few days on campus.

10. Random Roommate Assignment Just Doesn't Cut It

Many colleges and universities offer the option to have a roommate randomly assigned to you. Some campuses make all students fill out an extensive survey that collects information about you. Questions usually cover a wide range of topics such as music preferences, allergies, college majors and minors, interests and desired studying conditions. They use the results to match you up with someone who shares some things in common. Despite this, sometimes the pairing just do not work. I have heard some horror stories from older friends who say that they regretted going random. Fortunately, my school offers the choice to request a particular person as your future roommate. As long as the other person agrees and there are no other conflicts, they will match you up together. I met my roommate through our Class of 2020 Facebook group. It has allowed me to get to know her and let us color coordinate our dorm bedding. Through our conversations we have also determined who will bring what for our room and how we will set it all up. Requesting a specific person has let me feel more prepared for the high school to college transition and DUH, automatic best friend.