1. Time management

In high school, I felt as though I was really well prepared to manage my time here on campus and succeed. I had always done sports, worked, and was a full-time running-start student. However, life on your own on campus is much different than life at home.

You are given the opportunity to make one hundred percent of all your decisions. Even though that is awesome, it can also be a bit of a struggle at first.

I am someone who wants to get involved with every opportunity I can, and campus gives you a lot of opportunities to do so. Therefore, your schedule can become full a lot faster then you may have expected. On top of that, your thirty minutes of studying for your high school classes turn into hours on end of studying for one class in college.

My word of advice is to take things slow and plan out your days. Be open to the idea of schedule changes and learn to prioritize your time.

2. Eating healthy

Imagine being a walking distance to a free, 24/7 buffet. Welcome to a college dining hall.

RDA is both a blessing and a curse. Having money specifically set aside just to spend on food is a risky move for someone who really enjoys food. Especially when it's supplied with not the healthiest foods in the world. My advice is to get the smallest RDA plan. This makes you budget the amount of money you're spending on food each day to monitor the amount of you're able to eat per day.

3. Going out

I think that most people attending college, especially universities with a Greek life, are excited about the opportunity to "go out." It was definitely something I was curious about, especially when joining a sorority. However, the parties will always be there, there will always be an opportunity to go, so don't prioritize that over other things you actually need to get done to succeed.

My advice is to find a balance. Use going out, whether it be going to dinner with your friends or a night on Greek row, as motivation to get all your work done before that. You'll feel accomplished with yourself about the work you did, which will, in turn, let you truly enjoy your evening.

4. Meeting new people

A college campus is filled with lots of people. Which means there will be an opportunity to meet a lot of new people!

My advice is to take these opportunities in full stride. Put yourself out there because I can almost guarantee when you do, you will be so happy you did. During the beginning of your freshmen year, almost everyone is in the same position, searching and hoping to make new friends and build relationships. Be confident in yourself because, with the number of people on campus, there is definitely someone who holds the qualities you look for in a friend.

5. Appreciate your family now

While you're in high school, I think we have a tendency to be unappreciative of the things our families do for us on a day to day basis, because it's always there so we just expect it.

However, when you're at college, your family isn't there to bring your forgotten item to school, give you a hug when need it, ask you what's wrong when they notice you're not being your self, or offer you help when you feel overwhelmed.

They say you don't know what you have until it's gone, and that hits you like a train when you get to college when it comes to your family; at least for me. The weekly phone calls and texts from my family are things I really look forward and cherish more than I ever thought I would.

My advice is to learn to appreciate those smalls things while they're at such an arms length because as you grow older those are things become a gift not a guarantee.