Starting your freshman year of college is new and exciting. You are probably moving away from your family for the first time and living with a complete stranger. It’s a time to make new friends and memories, as well as learn a lot. I have learned a tremendous amount during my freshman year, and I would like to share some things that I learned with you.

1. College is harder than I thought.

Before I started college, I never thought I would have so much work to do.  I didn’t think that freshman year would be too demanding because friends of mine told me that their first year of college was a breeze. I knew it would be tough, but I never thought my whole weekends could be consumed by a mountain of school work. It is challenging when some of your friends never have homework to do while you are up to your ears in essays and studying. You have to realize that everyone is taking different classes and some require more work than others.

Failure is inevitable, and I promise you will experience some sort of failure while in college. Even after studying for an entire week, I managed to fail a test. After a solid two hours of crying into my pillow, I realized that the only thing I can do is move forward. I made use of office hours and study sessions, which helped me immensely. Through these failures, you will learn how to improve in the future.

2. That boy you cried over is not that important.

There are so many boys you will meet in college, and trust me, they are not worth crying over. While you may be devastated in the moment, you will realize that you were not meant to be together. Something I learned from these relationships is that you must have self-respect and never let anyone treat you like you're anything less than a princess. If he treats you poorly, leave him right away.

Remember that your friends can spot a bad guy before you can. I learned to trust my friends' instincts when it comes to boys. While you may think they’re wrong because you are head over heels for this guy, your friends will end up being right. Always. This has happened to me on multiple occasions, and I have come to realize that my friends are never wrong.

3. Don't walk alone at night.

This may seem obvious, but the longer you have been living on campus, the more comfortable you are going places alone. While this is absolutely fine during the daytime, do not do it at night. I used to walk at night at the beginning of the fall semester because I never thought that it could be dangerous if I was only traveling a short distance. During finals week, my friend and I were walking home from the library around 8 p.m. We were followed and chased by two guys. Thankfully we managed to get away safely, but it was something that I will never forget, because it was so frightening. The fact that it wasn’t even late at night and we were only walking a short distance goes to show how you should always be cautious. My university has a golf-cart transportation system that I take at night now so that I am never walking alone.

4. The 'Freshman 15' is real.

I had never thought I would gain so much weight in college, because I had always maintained a constant weight in high school. Boy, was I wrong. It is difficult to eat healthy in college, because when I’m stressed I would much rather have a bowl of ice cream than a bowl of fruit. I also stopped regularly going to the gym because I got very lazy in college, as most people do. Despite the fact that I have gained more weight then I would like to admit in a matter of 9 months, I am not too freaked out. I know so many people experience the freshman 15 and I can try to work on my diet next year.

5. You may not feel like you belong there right away.

Some people make friends faster than others, and that’s okay. Making best friends your first year of college can seem impossible at first. When you first start out, it may be difficult, because these friends are nothing like your friends from back home. You might even feel a little homesick. The best thing you can do is join extra-curricular activities to make friends. There are probably hundreds of clubs on your campus. Mine has over 600! Finding something that interests you should not be a problem at all. Join as many clubs as you would like and make the best out of your college experience. Something that will make you feel at home is doing something that you are passionate about. I personally love to sing and did it all throughout high school, so I knew the perfect activity for me to do would be joining an a cappella group. Through this I have made so many amazing friends.

Just because you don’t have a best friend within the first week, or even the first month of college, doesn’t mean that you never will. Developing friendships takes lots of time and you may not find your BFF right away. Don’t worry, you will soon enough.

6. The year goes by so quickly.

You thought high school went by fast? Just wait for college. It feels like just last week I was moving into my dorm and leaving my parents for the first time. I made so many great memories my freshman year, but it’s time to move on. I cannot wait for the next three years and to see what’s to come! Four years of college sounds like a long time, but I know it will pass in the blink of an eye.

Co-writer: Maribeth Graham