I am now in my second semester of college and there are some things I would like to share with high schoolers going to college that I wish I had known. I could have saved myself a lot of stress if I had known these things.

1. Visit Early

Visit the colleges you are interested in early; it will be super helpful when you are deciding whether you want to apply Early Action or Early Decision. Early Decision usually means you apply a bit earlier, and if you get in, you are bound to that college. Early Action is non-binding, but you apply earlier and find out sooner whether or not you got in. Many universities have better scholarships for those who apply early decision. That being said, if you visit and feel like you haven’t found the “perfect” college, just apply regular decision. You don’t want to be bound to a school you aren’t 100% on. Also, visiting early helps keep the stress surrounding senior down. You don’t want to be filling out a ton of applications and trying to find a couple days to visit.

2. Don't stress about what major you will declare.

Too many people stress out about what major they will declare when they apply. Granted, it does matter for a few select colleges, but for most, going in undeclared isn’t that big of a deal. Your first two years of college will be spent taking core classes, and by the time you get to major-specific classes, chances are you will have already changed your major at least once. I don’t care how much of your life you have planned out, you will change your major or career interest at some point.

3. Enjoy your last moments in high school.

For many, college will be a place where you’ll get to start over. You’ll be going through a ton of new experiences and meeting new people. For some, you’ll go in knowing absolutely no one, like I did. For the first time in your life, everything around you will be unfamiliar. Before this, you at least had family or friends to help make things familiar, but in college, you don’t have that crutch. So enjoy your last moments in a familiar environment. You will never again get an experience similar to high school. Enjoy your time with friends and family, and make as many memories as possible.

4. Apply for as many scholarships as possible.

College is expensive (like really really expensive). Unless you are extraordinarily smart or an extremely gifted athlete, you will have to pay for at least part of your college. Scholarships are super helpful. You usually have to write an essay or do an interview, but if you get the scholarship, it is well worth it. And make sure to check as many places as possible for scholarships. There are plenty of specific scholarships that you could qualify for or local scholarships that are less competitive than state or national scholarships. There are so many people and organizations that are willing to support you furthering your education- take advantage of it. Take the time to fill out scholarship applications, you and your parents will thank you later.

5. Pay attention to due dates.

Due dates are SOOOO important. Not only is it crucial when first applying to colleges, but even after you get in, there are also due dates for things like getting in health forms, sending your final transcript, and finding housing. Stay on top of all of it, and don’t wait until the last minute. This is also important to remember for scholarships as well. You don’t want to do all the work for a scholarship and realize that it was due yesterday. Avoid a lot of stress and problems, and pay attention to due dates.

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All in all, you are heading into an exciting part of your life. College is so different from anything you have ever experienced, so enjoy it. Prepare for some of the best years of your life.