About a year ago, I was preparing to start my freshman year of college, and I was not prepared and not excited. It seemed like all of my friends could not wait to start anew in college, and it was really disheartening that I did not feel that same joy they felt about starting their college experience. As the school year went on though, I learned that I was not the only freshman who felt nervous and even dreaded starting college, and soon enough I started to feel at home on campus.

So maybe you are extremely nervous about starting school. Maybe the summer went by too quickly, and you aren't ready to leave your family and friends yet. Maybe you aren't too sure if the whole "college thing" is for you. Regardless, if you are feeling some sort of doubt about starting your freshman year, I hear you, and I can give you some advice about surviving your school year from someone who was once in the same spot you were.

1. Your adviser should be your new BFF.

Your adviser can make your life really awesome and easy (like mine), or they can make your scheduling extremely difficult. Be nice to your adviser, because whenever you have a question about teachers, classes, scheduling, your major, graduating in time, your future career, anything, they will have the answer. If you really are not clicking with your adviser, request a new one. It may seem scary, but trust me, having a good adviser will make your college experience 1,000 times better. And if time is passing and you are doubting your major, not doing well in a class, etc., your adviser will be able to help you or at the least steer you in the right direction.

2. Do not be afraid to take advantage of your school's counseling center.

Your health should be your number one priority, so if you ever feel like your mental health is suffering, go to the school's counseling center. It is often free, and the staff is usually made up of professionals with degrees. Counseling centers are not just for therapy, either; you can get advice on how to make the most out of your college experience, too. Whether it's an issue with grades and classwork, changing your major, making friends, getting over homesickness, whatever, your counseling center is there for you to offer you support.

3. Your health should be your number one priority.

College can and will be stressful. You can do things to reduce stress, but you cannot completely eliminate it. That being said, your health should be your main priority. If you are sick, don't attend class. Get better, and don't get your classmates sick (but also don't abuse this privilege). If you need to take a day off because you are on the verge of a mental breakdown, do it. You cannot do your best work and meet your full potential if you are sick. And again, take advantage of the counseling and health clinics on your campus if you need it.

4. Try at least one new thing per semester.

One of the most important things you will learn in college is who you are. You cannot put a price on experiences, you just have to go out and do them. Try at least one new thing per semester. It can be joining a club, going out with a new friend, getting a new haircut, anything. Just go out and try things while you are young and have the ability to do so.

5. Have fun, but be responsible.

If you want to go out and party during college, fine. If you want to stay up until 4 am every day watching Netflix, fine. If you want to eat chocolate fudge cake everyday at dinner, fine. You can do whatever you want with your life, but remember that their are consequences to every action. College is supposed to be fun, absolutely, but remember that you are paying for an education, not just for fun. It is alright if you want to splurge and go wild, but be responsible about it and remember what you spending several thousand dollars per semester for.

6. Take advantage of free opportunities.

College is way too expensive, so take advantage of the free things that come your way. Take the free food (just don't take it all and be "that guy"). Go to free movie screenings, sporting events, concerts, etc. Even if you get discount tickets, products, etc., take advantage of it all. Never again in your life will you have some of the free opportunities that you will have in college, so you might as well take advantage of them while you can.

7. It is OK to be alone.

You do not need to hang out with people every night, or go to the movies on $5 Mondays with the gang every week. It is perfectly fine to stay in for an evening and treat yo'self. You do not need to eat lunch with your buddies in your 2 p.m. biology class, or go to the gym every other night with your roommate. Take some time for yourself, it is healthy and you will need it when you are surrounded by so many people.

8. You need other people.

This point may seem like it conflicts with my previous point, but it doesn't. College is all about moderation, and just like you need some alone time, you need other people too. Isolating yourself from others can really bring your mood down, and usually hanging out with a group of friends is a good cure for when you are feeling blue. As much as you may not want to go out with other people, to a certain extent we all need people (and the extent is different for everyone). I personally set aside days for when I would try and go out with people, and days I would stay in room and get "work" done. Do what you need to do, but do not isolate yourself.

9. Making friends isn't necessarily easy.

Everyone talks about how easy it is to make friends and find a "family" in college, but that isn't necessarily true. You will meet a lot of people, that's for sure, but you will often have to put effort into maintaining friendships at first. This sounds scary, and it can be at first, but if you are willing to put some effort into it, and it doesn't have to be tons of effort, you will make friends. Some of your friends you make at orientation or the first week at school may not be your close friends by the end of the school year, and that is OK. Everyone is trying to find their niche freshman year, so do not be afraid to change and don't hate others who also change.

10. Breaks will be busier than you expect.

Your holiday breaks may sound relaxing and full of fun with family and friends, but that often isn't the case. A lot of people work during school breaks, stay on campus, etc., but regardless, your breaks will be busier than expected. You may not see your friends and family as much as you would like, if at all, and although it can be extremely painful, that is life. If they are also in school, they will understand how busy you are, and you never has as much time as you want during breaks. With that in mind, do not be offended if you're friends don't have time to visit during breaks too. Keep in contact with people via texting, Facebook, writing letters (which is actually really fun), whatever way you want. Some of your friends from back home will grow apart from you, and that is okay and part of life. Again, do not be afraid of change, especially when it comes to the "high school you."

11. Stay on campus (unless you are commuter).

When stress and homesickness hit you hard, all you may want to do is go home to your family, cuddle with your dog and/or cat, eat Mom's brownies, and cry. While you do have permission to go home as necessary, it isn't always your best option. Going home too often can isolate you from your peers, and does not really give you a chance to get over your homesickness and get used to living on your own. When you are missing people, give them a call. While talking to your parents on the phone isn't the same as giving them a hug, it does help when you are missing them. And if the homesickness is too much for you, then it is perfectly OK to transfer to a school closer to home. Hopefully, you don't plan on living in your parent's basement forever, you just may not be ready to leave the nest yet, and that is perfectly fine.

12. Be selfish (in a good way).

These are the selfish years of your life, so take advantage of that (as long as you aren't acting like a jerk). Join the activities and clubs you want to, and if you don't enjoy it, quit. Take classes you want, and pick a major/minor you enjoy. It is your education, so learn about something you love enjoy. Make the friends you want, decorate your room how you want, go on the adventures you want to go on, do what you want (just be responsible and do what is within your limits). Your college years should be focused on you and your education, do what you love.

13. You aren't alone.

There will be times when you think you are the only person struggling in a class, the only person who is homesick, the only person struggling to not make friends, etc. But it is important to remember that you are not and never are alone. There are other freshman, and students of all other class levels, who have felt, are feeling, or will feel the way you are. There are people on and off campus who love you, and will support and help you through whatever problems you are facing. Love and support your fellow students, because they will do the same for you.

Starting college can be absolutely terrifying. Some things in college will be better than you expect, some will be worse, just like everything else in life. So live in the moment, hold your head up high, and walk into your first class knowing that you got this. And no matter what sorts of feelings you are feeling now, soon enough you too will fall in love with your university and your college experience.