It’s that time of year again, the time when millions of eager, enthusiastic, and often oblivious freshmen walk onto the campuses of their choice to embark on the journey towards a college degree. We’ve all seen them on day one wandering along aimlessly or pacing frantically, clueless to the layout of campus and the overall unimportance of “syllabus day.” While most upperclassmen regard them with humor, it often makes me mindful of my first year at Troy University and all of the things I wish I had known freshman year. So with that being said, here is my educated (and opinionated) list of things you should know as an 18-year-old student, particularly those living away from home.

1. Join a church.

Not just a campus ministry – although I believe those are a vital part of your college experience – but an actual church. You know, the ones with old people sitting in the back and babies crying towards the front? Here’s why. When you go to college, you are suddenly thrust into an environment of one age group. No longer are you surrounded by various levels of adulthood or bothered by random children in various stages; it’s just a bunch of big kids/underdeveloped adults all trying to figure out their lives in the same atmosphere. Get to know an older couple at your church. Meet a young family that would love a babysitter on a random weeknight. It does your heart good to have those relationships with people outside of those in the same stage of life as you.

2. Go to class.

I’m serious. And I am a seasoned veteran of class skipping, don’t get me wrong. But it has rarely done me any good. Those first few weeks of unbridled freedom give you this high that makes you want to do everything you couldn’t do at home, but just be an adult and make yourself go. Nothing productive comes from not living up to your responsibilities. Plus, if a professor sees you are an active participant in their class by arriving on time and attending regularly, they are more likely to bump up that 88 at the end of the semester. Think ahead people.

3. Call home.

Your mom is going to love me after this article. But really, call your mother. Skype your dad. Text your siblings. Make efforts to keep open communication with them, even though your schedules have changed. This was a particularly hard transition for me and my family, as my siblings are so much younger than I am. But after a few weeks of adjustment, we chose a night that worked well for us and Skyped once a week to catch up. Listen, your family is important. Going to college gives you this independence and pushes you to create a family of your own away from home, but remember where you came from. Your parents and siblings have probably been the most consistent thing in your life thus far, and will continue to be so; don’t allow this new-found freedom to be an opportunity to discard them.

4. Declare Undecided, and stay that way.

98.7 percent of you are going to go into college having absolutely no idea what you want to do with your life, and that is completely okay. Another large percentage of you will come in thinking you know what you want, and then realize you would actually hate anything to do with that field. That’s okay too. If you don’t know, declare your major as undecided and just leave it be for a while. You don’t have to have everything figured out by Christmas break of your freshman year. Take some time to explore your talents and the classes you have to take for your general education to see which ones you are really excelling in. Nothing will put you behind as badly as changing your major 12 times does. Take it from the Theater, Pre-Law, Criminal Justice, Political Science, and eventual Mass Communication major sitting before you. Don’t panic if you don’t have a 401K already. Get the classes you have to take out of the way, pray about your future, and wait to declare until you are fairly certain of your life plan.

5. Find something you’re good at.

One of the hardest transitions for me from high school to college was the level of affirmation you are given. When you are in high school, you can really do it all. If you are good at soccer, you play soccer. If you are good at singing, you join choir. And while you are a part of things, you are constantly complimented and praised at your abilities. Especially now that we are living in an “everyone gets a trophy for participation” society. When I came to college, suddenly I wasn’t good at anything. There was no area for me to exercise my unique abilities, and in turn I felt really useless and questioned my worth. It really lowered my self-esteem. In light of that, find a club on campus you would enjoy or a committee you could contribute to. If you are good at sports, play intra murals. If you like government, join SGA. If you sing, participate in a coffee house. Find a way to make yourself feel good about the specific talents God gave you.

6. Go home, and bring your friends.

This serves three purposes really. One, you’re going to miss home. And you’re home is going to miss you. So go visit. There is no tally at the end of the semester to see who went home the least and therefore, is the most independent. If you want to see your dad, go home and see your dad. I’m sure he’s a really cool guy. Two, your parents are used to you bringing your friends home from school, and from then on, when you say you are spending time with Shelley, they know exactly who Shelley is. And if you are in a small enough community, they probably know Shelley’s mom and dad too. Parents love to meet your friends from school, just to put a face with a name. Just because you moved out doesn’t mean they are any less invested in your life. Three, it is so neat to get a small picture of your dearest friend’s lives before they knew you. When you meet your best friends in college, you see such a small vision of why they are the way that they are. And because you love them so, it’s such a cool experience to go to the place that helped shape who they are, and learning to love it like they did alongside them.

7. Find a mentor.

Whether this person is from your sorority or from your church or the Resident Assistant in your dorm, find someone that is a few stages of life ahead of you that has learned the ropes of your university and life in general. This will come in handy when you are signing up for classes for the first time, or when you can’t remember the library hours, or when you can’t figure out what temperature setting to put your laundry on and you don’t want to call your mom at 11:30 at night. Not to mention, usually upperclassmen are living off-campus, so you can utilize their laundry room or their full kitchen. You won’t realize how much you will truly just miss a house setting until you aren’t living in one anymore.

8. Do well in school.

I have kind of touched on this in regards to going to class, but I really think this is important in its own regard. For me, and for many others I have spoken to, your self-esteem can really plummet when you come to college. One way you can combat that is to take pride in your schoolwork. Let that be something you are good at. If you take this opportunity of freedom to slack off, I guarantee it will leave you feeling worse. Buckle down, and really do your best.

9. Avoid the dreaded Freshman Fifteen.

Trust me, no one likes the girl that posts Throwback Thursdays on Instagram every time to their senior pictures because they are embarrassed at the way they look now. You’ll feel healthier and happier if you just stay on a regular work out and eating-decently regimen. I’m not saying you have to join Crossfit and start dieting, but don’t go insane and order pizza every night just because you can. But for those of you that do undergo this freshman transformation, keep in mind the "Sophomore Slim Down" is a real thing. I believe in you.

10. Don’t do a relationship.

I could write a book on this one. Listen, I can count on one hand, one hand, how many of my friends married the guy they dated as a freshman. At 18, you are just really in no position to pick out the guy you want to spend the rest of your life with. You are barely developed into your own self at that point. Take your early years of college to really invest in your friendships. After all, you have to have bridesmaids. Also, I am in no way saying don’t date. Dating is good and healthy and a wonderful practice. But don’t commit yourself to a serious mini-marriage when you’re still figuring your own life out.

11. If you are having trouble adjusting, seek help.

There is nothing wrong with you if you really have trouble transitioning into college life. A lot of really strong wonderful people do. It is an incredible life change; if you didn’t have a little difficulty, I’d be worried. And if you notice that you are really struggling, seek some help. Whether that be an adult that can really invest in your life or a free counseling service on campus, there is nothing wrong with getting some guidance during this time. Freshman year will end, I promise. Just hang in there!