College is full of fun, laughter, memories and lots of "firsts." The nice thing about going away to school is that you have the chance to learn more about yourself. I would like to argue that when you are in college, you learn in lecture, but also on your walk to class. Here are some of the most common stepping stones that college students encounter on their journey through their first year.

1. Your First Time Getting Sick

You realize how much you can get done, even while you’re “dying” of a cold. When my mom is there and willing to take care of me, I suddenly become helpless and let her do all the work (terrible, I know, but I am not the only one). Always make sure that you keep at least one can of soup in your dorm/apartment/house. Or whatever makes you feel comfortable and at home to comfort yourself when coming down with a virus.

2. Your First Time Doing Laundry

First, sort them into colors. Second, call mom (it worked for me). But seriously, whether you use your fancy machine at home, or have been blessed with a mother who is still doing your laundry, you learn very quickly that laundry sucks. You also will learn how many pieces of clothing you have. The machines at the college or university that you are attending should have basic settings--you got this!

3. Your First Time “Deep” Cleaning (or not)

Not that I am a sloppy resident at my parents house, but when I moved out and went to college I realized that the bowl that I left on my counter was still there the next morning. In all honesty, I learned about what kind of living habits that I have. Now is the time to figure out what kind of “dorm” owner you want to be. Your habits now will leak into the future--make them good habits.

4. Your First Time Starting Over and Making Friends

I read a while back that by making friends, we ignore our parents rule of “not talking to strangers.” This was funny but true. While you are at school, leave your dorm room open, smile, say hello, and go to the welcome week activities that are planned. Friends are right around the corner. Plus, everyone there is looking to make friends. As the school year goes on, make sure you are surrounding yourself with positive and motivated people. These are the best friends you can make for they impact your life rather than making it a living nightmare. This also can help your motivation.

5. First time watching what you eat

Pizza is delicious. Taco Bell is delicious. The freshman 15 is not. When it comes to preparing meals, I make a mean Ramen noodle and macaroni and cheese. After that, I feel helpless. The best advice in this category is to be aware of what you eat and when you eat it. If I felt as if I was getting a little carried away, I would stop eating after seven or I would make sure that I had a salad for one of my meals that day. It is hard, but once you are aware of what you eat, it will be much easier to watch your weight. I know some who even went vegetarian and others, all the way to vegan! But in reality, watching what you eat is not that hard--once you get the hang of it.Until then, it is a struggle.

6. First time being on your own

Being independent sounds really rad. No curfew, no one nagging about chores or homework. On the other hand, there is no curfew, no one nagging about chores or homework, which can result in none of these getting done. Being independent also means being responsible and being good at prioritizing. School comes first, it is why you are there in the first place! It is hard adjusting if you are not much of a self motivator, but I find planners and sticky notes really help me going!

Your first time feeling home sick (and how to deal with it).

7. First Time practicing your religion on your own

I have a couple of friends who I saw struggle through this area. With all of this freedom of choice, you start to mold yourself into the person you will become. This is the time where you start to prioritize the things that really matter to you, whether you realize it or not. I do not come from a religious family, but I do know someone who does, and they discovered that their religious practice was solely through their parents, rather than motivated by their own drive. Now, this is not a bad thing, but it does put people on the cross roads of “do I go because my parents want me to and do I go because I want religion to be a big part in my life. Rest assured that whichever path you choose, is okay. As long as you approve of your decisions, nothing else matters. Even more so, I have seen some who discover their own relationship with their religion and have developed a stronger and more meaningful connection--it is all dependent on the person

8. First Time Budgeting

The word free appeals to the public, but to a college student, it is the gold pot at the end of a rainbow. “I am as broke as a college student” speaks volumes about what exactly is in your bank account. After paying the tuition bills and rent, I am lucky to have $20 in my wallet. The big decision is what to do with that $20. I grew up in a home in which my parents loved couponing. After watching them cut coupons, enjoy looking for sales and figuring out the best bang for the buck, I started to enjoy the same feeling. On the other hand, if you grew up in a house where couponing is not so fun and you have to start to fund your own taste buds and any other preferences you may have, you realize the needs and the wants pretty fast, if I do say so myself. The best advice I have is to write out the shopping list and figure out which items are must haves. College is expensive, but the memories you make on the way are priceless.