College is great. It’s just as good as your parents tell you, maybe even better because we have the Internet now. The change that comes with college can be daunting, scary even, but the rewards of adapting and finding your way, even after a while, are definitely worth it. With that said, this is a list of the ways that college will change your life.

1. You’ll Be Alone. Truly Alone. Getting moved into college is a very strange experience. It’s not sad as much as it is a very abrupt transition into semi-adulthood after living with your parents for a lifetime. The next morning is even weirder as you realize that you’ve just woken up in a new home without any of the people around you that you’re usually accustomed to. Fortunately, if you choose your college carefully, you’ll be in a place where you’re eventually comfortable and spending time with people who help make that place feel like a home.
   
2. There’s Always Something To Do. Whether it’s studying or any type of procrastination, there will always be events to attend, club meetings to sit through, and of course, parties to show up to. The challenge in college is making sure you take care of business first because it’s always tempting to go out and have fun or just waste time. For some reason, the time after classes on weekdays has the tendency to lull you into a false sense of security from your responsibilities rendering you just as lazy as your parents after work. It takes some time to get used to, but if you’re committed to making your thousands of dollars of student loans mean something (personal bitterness) you’ll find a satisfying balance eventually.
   
   
3. School Is Actually Challenging. If you’re like me, you went to a school in the suburbs that was a good school by any standards but for some reason you just weren’t challenged. You waltzed into college as a smart kid after winning awards in high school and gliding through classes, mastering classes without straining yourself. Cherish those memories and leave them in the past because those days are officially done. To put it in perspective, you’ll probably take it easy your first semester and by the second one you’ll think you have the hang of it enough to take some risks when planning your schedule, difficulty-wise. At this point you’ll realize that the first semester is like a party and second semester is like leaving that party in a good mood and promptly being mugged in an alley. The standard for a good second semester is managing to survive the mugging to see another day during your second year. Keep your head up, roll with the punches, and know when to call it quits; you should be fine.
   

4. You Make Your Own Rules…Or Not. You’re an adult. You came to your school with the intent to explore the definition of that, just…don’t go TOO wild. It’s okay to have the occasional crazy night or two or ten, just have some standards and respect yourself. Self-discipline is key to knowing yourself and making decisions that you can live with. For example, fraternities and sororities can be a great way to spend your time, meet people, and have fun but as a member of a fraternity myself I can tell you from experience that it can be very easy to lose sight of the fact that you’re there to study and get an education, to really learn something, and you can’t do that if you’re drunk all the time or getting kicked out for having terrible grades. Keep your inner party animal under control.
   
5. Finding Someone Is Easier With So Many Choices. You may have found that, in high school, you couldn’t find that special someone given the choices in your hometown, or even that you couldn’t find quite like-minded enough people to be friends with. College provides a bigger sample size for you to choose from, so if you’re experiencing some anxiety about meeting people in college, try not to worry so much about it. Join organizations that sound interesting to you, try to be outgoing, and don’t worry if it doesn’t all happen right away. Patience is key to finding your place and your people.
   

6. You’ll Need To Budget. Unless you have parents who just throw you money, you’ll have to find a way to make your dollar stretch. Learn how to say no to going out to dinner with friends, cut back on entertainment outings, and find fun things to do that don’t involve quite as much spending. For example, try exercising on a regular basis: it’s a win-win because you’ll get fit and probably for free if your university has an on-campus gym. If you don’t find some way to manage your money better you’ll probably end up like me, having leftover sleep for dinner on the worst nights.
   
7. You’ll Basically Start Rebuilding Your Resume From Scratch. College is the perfect chance to reinvent yourself. It may seem like a bad thing, having to start your list of notable achievements over (mostly), but think of it like this: you’re taking the experience and mistakes of your past and putting them towards new jobs, internships, and research projects that employers will be able to use to see that you are, hopefully, the best person for the job. And you’ll get there eventually. Just give yourself time to explore your interests and don’t rush; college flies by even faster than senior year, so good luck.