1. Secret stash of emergency comfort food.

This "secret stash" of goodies should be a small stockpile of your favorite comfort food. This stash is to be hidden and only used for emergencies, which could include the following: when you're having a bad day in general and need a pick me up, bad grade on an exam or paper, home sickness, sickness in general, stressful situations, etc.

2. A great friend and/or friend group.

As much as we "young adults" like to think we can take care of ourselves one hundred and ten percent of the time emotionally and physically, we cannot. We are not super human. We need someone, at least one person in our college community that has some knowledge of what we are going through. This person (or group of people) should do the following with you: Netflix binge watch a show until 2 AM, cry with you if needed, listen to you if needed, go do fun things with you (whether that means going to a frat on Friday night or sneaking into the science center to identify a mold spore growing in your roommate's fridge), etc. They should be there to listen to you, to be your "home away from home".

3. Paper products.

These can be anything from the normal tissues, paper towels, toilet paper, notebook paper, post-its, etc. (basically anything absorbent because you are going to cry). I am not here to sugarcoat this experience. Now, I am not saying everyone is going to cry over the same thing. You might cry over missing home or a significant other. You might be upset about losing your favorite pumps at the party on Saturday night. You might cry over some dumb boy in your English class because he hasn't noticed you. But you will cry.

4. A calculator.

Now you're probably thinking, "Oh, yeah, you need a calculator for the math class you take for a semester." I mean, yes, that's a great thing to have because most professors do not allow you to have a cell phone out, but really you need this to keep track of your finances. If you are anything like I was when I first got to college, your finances are probably in the clear, for now. Give it until the end of your first semester, and your finances will begin to dwindle for multiple reasons. You have to buy real things like groceries every week. Laundry stuff is expensive, so take advantage of it when you're home. Also, the normal stuff like school supplies and the occasional venturing off campus to get "normal food" cost money. Don't even get me started on if you have a car on campus. Two words, money pit.

5. Give a crap.

"What do you mean 'give a crap'? I do care." Yeah, you care now. Good for you. But your motivation will slowly dwindle, and you will start caring less. Instead of doing a five page paper a week in advance like you did the first week of class, you will tell yourself "I can put it off; I have time." or "I need a nap; it isn't due until tomorrow at midnight." I am not saying you cannot pull off a bomb paper in four hours because, believe me, been there done that, I am saying it will come to haunt you, whether it's on a midterm, a final, or years down the road in a graduate class. Just work hard and be proud of your work because it is a reflection of your character.

College is an emotional roller coaster no one signed up for. You change so much in so little time, and you may not even realize it. My advice to you is to embrace your change and have fun doing so. Push through the struggles and the hurt, and leave nothing behind when having a good time. College is just a small fraction of your entire life. Stay up late, make memories, work hard, but have fun.