Like everyone else I, too, have regrets (hard to believe, I know). One of my biggest lately is that I didn't ask for a whole lot of advice before my freshman year; I just went in blind, hoping for the best. There are so many reasons why this is a bad idea — so don't be like me. Don't refuse to listen to advice because you think you know what you're doing, because no matter how prepared you think you are, college always seems to find a way to throw a wrench into your plans. So take it from me — here are the best pieces of advice to really keep in mind before freshman year:

1. Let yourself make mistakes — and learn from them.

A big part of growing up is making mistakes, and arguably, college is prime time for growing up. In college, you'll do some dumb stuff. You just will. Here's the good part, though — you're so young, and you've got so much ahead of you. This is the time to do dumb stuff, and to learn from it too (just don't do anything dangerous — that's a whole other story).

2. Learn how to budget your time.

This is a big one, and it was a huge part of why I felt so overwhelmed during my own freshman year. In college, you take on a lot of different activities, and even if your class schedule has you waking up at noon, you'll arguably still be busy every day. Learn how to balance work and fun, and don't let one take precedence over the other. This goes both ways, remember — overworking yourself is just as unproductive as not working at all.

3. Seize opportunities when they come, buy don't beat yourself up for missing one.

If I hear the word "FOMO" one more time, I might scream. In a world where we watch our friends (and random celebrities?) post about all their fun times on Snapchat, it's pretty easy to get down and out about how lame our lives are. Hint: yes, FOMO is real. But here's the thing - you'll have a million and a half opportunities to have fun in college. You'll have a million opportunities in college, period. So take some, of course, but don't beat yourself up if you "miss out" on something. You have so many years left, and your life is just starting to get awesome.

4. Embrace "free" things.

Free pizza? Yes. Free t-shirts? Hell yes. Be there, seriously. If something's free on and around campus, you won't regret going for it. At this point, my wardrobe is probably 50% free campus t-shirts, and I have zero regrets. And who can say no to free food? (Hint - not me.)

5. Have fun, but remember why you're paying $23,000 a year.

This is a huge one. Whether it's you, or your parents, or both paying for your education, college is a huge expenditure, and while it's awesome (and beneficial!) to have fun and "find yourself" in college, remember why you're really there. Getting an education is the goal, and it comes with a pretty big price tag, so just make sure you don't spend all four years doing ... other things.

Good luck! You'll do great.