I ended up surviving my first week of college, which is amazing. A lot had happened during the chaos of adapting to college life. But as I’m sitting in my already-cluttered dorm room, it’s slowing dawning on me that classes start tomorrow. Required Welcome Week events might’ve prepared me for getting around campus and joining clubs, but there is still an air of uncertainty.

In order to push those feelings away, I made a list of things that will help me succeed in my first year of college (and for any other freshmen reading this who may also feel nervous about beginning college). All of these things that I’ve promised to do make me feel more prepared. Now, I can’t wait to start classes.

This year, I promise to...

1. Go to class even when I don't want to.
2. Sit near the front so I know what's going on.
3. Ask questions.
4. Ask for help.
5. Once in a while, look like I hadn’t just rolled out of bed and gone to class.
6. Take the stairs more than the elevator.
7. Do homework the day it's assigned.
8. Form/join a study group so I’m not alone in difficult classes.
9. Drink more water.
10. Eat the food my parents paid for.
11. Eat more salads than I did last year (I'll only have to eat one!).
12. Keep track of my spending.
13. Go to events even if they don't have free food.
14. Take advantage of free food.
15. Learn about something new.
16. Talk to people who aren't in my classes or residence hall.
17. Go out and have fun once in awhile.
18. Don't make stupid choices around or involving strangers.
19. Study like I've never studied before.
20. Not wait to do laundry until the last minute.
21. Not keep wearing the same pair of jeans three days in a row.
22. Go to bed early (some nights).
23. Call home.
24. Call grandma.
25. Explore the city.
26. Plan ahead for post-graduation life.
27. Do something I love that's not school-related.
28. Keep in touch with my close high school friends.
29. Spend less time on social media and YouTube.
30. Watch movies only when I'm finished with homework.
31. Use office hours to my advantage.
32. Keep my side of the room clean.
33. Order a pizza just for me when I deserve it.
34. Try some new foods.
35. Take a billion pictures. Yes. A billion.
36. Not get involved with pointless drama.
37. Not get caught up with people from high school whom I never considered friends.
38. Find cool new music to listen to.
39. Attend free therapy-animal sessions as much as possible.
40. Apply for scholarships.
41. Talk to my professors more than I talked to my high school teachers.
42. Get out of my dorm room and hang out in other places.
43. Find a group of friends that I care about and who care about me.
44. Take the multivitamins my mom sent me so I don’t get sick.
45. Be safe on late nights and weekends.
46. Enjoy the beauty of the campus before snow covers it all.
47. Research and apply for summer jobs related to my major.
48. Use the free campus transportation. Seriously, it’s free.
49. Submerge myself in campus life and culture.
50. Not quit, because that’s not why I'm here.