College is something that most kids look forward to. It is the first time you are really on your own, can make decisions without asking your parents, and skip classes whenever you want to. Even though these things are all true, I am experiencing a ton of things I didn't expect since I came to college.

1. Everything seems really unorganized.

I am a very organized person. I function better when I know what is happening, what I have to do, and when I have to get it done. Since I’ve been in college, I don’t have a daily routine like I did in high school, and it kind of throws me off. Random things happen at random times of the day, and it’s hard for me to balance the time where I should be doing my homework or doing something fun

2. Get involved.

Literally, everyone says this when you go to college, but it really is important. I know people who are super involved, and some who aren’t involved in anything, and the ones who are involved have a lot more fun and keep busy. Sometimes it is overwhelming to be involved in too many things, but it’s good to learn what you can and can’t balance. Also, you make more friends when you are involved, and who doesn't like friends?

3. Don’t study in your dorm room.

I don’t know if this only happens to me, but whenever I study in my room I get really distracted or fall asleep. It’s good to find different places around campus to study. Changing spots every once in awhile can be refreshing and motivating.

4. You might never talk to the people from your high school again, or you might get close to them.

6 kids from my high school came to the same college as me. I got a lot closer to a couple of them, and have hardly talked to the other ones at all. I also feel closer to my friends who don’t go to the same school as me. I talk to them more than I thought I would, and it’s nice to talk to people you aren’t with all of the time

5. Stress is real, stress is bad.

Before I came to college, I had never been this stressed out in my life. I stress out about every class, homework assignment, exam, what I need to get done throughout the day, and so many other things. It’s definitely a good idea to do something fun and not focus on school ALL the time because breaks are 100% needed

6. Drink coffee.

Coffee is the best thing that has happened to me. It tastes good, it wakes you up, and it can be warm or cold. If you ever need to accomplish anything, drink coffee. I promise it will help you and make you feel better.

I knew college was going to be different from high school, but I didn’t really realize how much adjusting I would have to do until I got here. All of my high school teachers talked about how I was only going to have one exam a semester and that would be my final grade, but I actually have like 5 exams each semester for one class. I never expected college to be so crazy and overwhelming, but I love it.