As I am wrapping up my sophomore year at Purdue, I’ve been thinking a lot about what this whole “college” thing has taught me… as opposed to thinking about all of the studying that I need to do for my finals next week. Either way, I think reflection of this nature is important. Maybe there are some things that I have learned thus far that you have not and vice versa. So, please enjoy the 11 things that I reflected on and feel free to let me know what you have learned while battling your way through college.

It’s OKAY to not get perfect scores on everything.

This was something that was very difficult for me to come to terms with when I first got to Purdue. High school had been more-or-less of a breeze for me, but that is simply not the case in college. Assignments became difficult and exams are unimaginable. I eventually had to accept the fact that perfect scores were out of the picture, and I was going to be okay with it.

Coffee actually is a necessity.

Before college, I could hardly stand the taste of coffee. I was dead-set on never liking it no matter how fancy the Starbucks drink was. Boy, has that changed. I had a revelation one late night of my first “Dead Week” and chugged a venti iced coffee from Starbucks as if my life depended on it. Now, today, my life most definitely does depend on coffee, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

You have to treat yourself sometimes.

Coffee is often one of the ways in which I accomplish this. The weight of projects, exams, essays, and everything in between can get really heavy. Because of this, it is essential that you “treat yo self” for working so dang hard. Get that coffee. Take that nap. Watch that Netflix episode. Eat that entire bag of chips at midnight. You deserve it.

Getting an on-campus job is a must.

For some crazy reason, I had applied for an on-campus job before my first semester of freshman year had even begun. I worked my entire freshman year at a cafe serving sandwiches and Starbucks drinks. This past year, I have worked as a lab assistant for Purdue’s IT department. Having a steady income as a college student has been so important to me because I can pay my bills and not feel guilty for my routine trips to Starbucks in the process.

30-minute naps can change your whole day.

I cannot stress this enough. A 30-minute nap can give you the energy to keep on keepin’ on with your day without wasting multiple hours. That is not to say that every once in awhile I don’t roll up into a blanket burrito and sleep for hours... because I do. On a more frequent basis, I opt for the 30-minute nap, though, and I don’t think I could survive college without it.

Walking to class is better than the bus.

I know that I am probably of the minority who believes this, but I have started walking to all of my classes this semester and enjoy it so much more than the bus. Even when it has been freezing cold, I think walking to class helps me appreciate the beautiful campus that I get to attend. And, if nothing else, I get a little bit of cardio in to help combat the constant snacks that I eat.

My mom actually does know everything.

High school Carly might have argued otherwise, but college Carly knows now that her mom really does know everything. I call my mom with the most random questions and she always has the answers. Living in an apartment and learning to cook for myself has me calling my mom every five minutes, it seems, to make sure I am adulting properly. I am forever thankful for that woman.

Finding friends to study with is important.

A key to being successful during exam season is finding those friends that you know you can get stuff done with. I personally love being able to be around others while also being able to focus and get a lot accomplished. Find those friends who are totally on board to go to the library with you for hours to crank out everything you need to get done.

My planner is my best friend.

This might not be the case for everyone, but I truly don’t think I could get anything accomplished without the help of my planner. I color-code all of my classes and write down different assignments, exams, etc. according to each class's color. There is something oddly satisfying about getting to cross things off my planner. It makes me feel like I’m doing important stuff… ya know?

Greek life is way different than what you might think.

As a freshman, I went through formal sorority recruitment and found myself in Alpha Chi Omega at Purdue. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into but was sweetly surprised when I realized that being a part of any Greek organization meant much more than the typical stereotype. Alpha Chi was extremely philanthropic, educationally-driven, and overall a house full of amazing girls. I have since dropped out of my sorority due to the living situation not being ideal for me, but I still believe that Greek life can be a really amazing experience for some people.

Rain boots/an umbrella/a rain jacket are IMPORTANT.

It will only take one day of walking in the rain without any of these essentials to convince you that you desperately need rain boots, an umbrella, and a rain jacket while in college. Walking around in shoes that are completely soaked is no fun way to spend your day, so definitely make the investment.

Not every decision you make is perfect.

This is the last and most important thing I think I have learned so far. My dad recently said this to me while I was explaining to him everything that has been causing me stress lately. Him telling me that not every decision that I make will be perfect really resonated with me. Inevitably, I am going to make awesome and not-so-awesome decisions during this trial-and-error period, and that is exactly how it is supposed to be.