I've learned a lot in my first few weeks as a freshman at the University of Minnesota. Here are the top eight realizations I've had at some point since September 6. Some of them I had to learn the hard way.

1. Having a bike is a godsend

My bike is probably the most useful non-essential item I’ve brought to school. It makes getting around so much easier, especially on a bike-friendly campus. It wasn’t until someone accidentally locked my brake line to their lock that I was forced to walk to class for a day. I realized just how much more efficient biking can be. I was late for my first class and had to run to a few just because of the extra time it took me to get there. Plus, there are so many beautiful bike paths around the Twin Cities, it would be a waste to not have a bike. My bike has even saved me on a few occasions. Once, I failed to set my alarm correctly, and spontaneously woke up five minutes before an exam on West Bank. Thanks to my bike, I made it. It took me all of five minutes to jump out of bed, throw on some clothes, and pump my pedals as hard as I could from Super Block to Willey Hall. I couldn’t imagine life at UMN-TC without my trusty bike.

2. I am not good at remembering things

The transition to college has shown me how poor my memory is. If I don’t set a reminder on my phone, I will forget every single appointment, class-change and meeting. You already know I nearly missed an exam, but I also missed a show choir practice because it wasn’t on our regular day. That and I forgot about my second CSE 1001 lecture because we hadn’t had it during the first week of class. Once I get into a rhythm, everything is fine, but any deviation from that rhythm and I'll probably show up for that cancelled class. For anyone like me, I suggest keeping a planner and setting a timed reminder on your phone right away after making an appointment.

3. Cold is fine, wind sucks

I’ve lived in Minnesota my entire life. I’m fine with cold. In fact, winter is my favorite season. But wind is something different. I am thoroughly convinced that some unholy demon has made its home on the west end of Washington Avenue and spends its mornings blasting its icy breath down the street to harass students walking and biking to class. I often unlock my bike feeling a little toasty in my coat, gloves and hat, thinking, “Maybe I overdressed a bit today.” But, that thought is immediately dismissed when I reach the Washington Avenue intersection and I am hit by the full force of the wind demon’s wrath. It tears through my pitiful attempt to bundle up. Today, I had to shift down a gear just to fight against it. Seriously, there must be some ritual or invocation we can perform to get rid of it. Anybody?

4. It’s harder to get out of a bunked bed

When I first made my schedule, I was very happy. Waking up at 9:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. is an improvement from 6:00 a.m. every day in high school. What I didn’t consider was this: my bed in high school was not four feet off the ground. Now, four feet doesn’t sound like a lot, but to someone who is half-awake, warm and bundled up, a four-foot climb down is a monumental task. Before, I could roll out of bed smoothly and start my day the same way. But each morning with a bunked bed is a battle of emotional fortitude between "Responsible Sam" and the "Warm and Toasty Sam." There are usually a few feeble taps of the snooze button before "Responsible Sam" forces me to climb down. The extra space that a bunked bed provides comes with a very real emotional struggle.

5. Christmas lights make everything better

However tough a day of classes or a treacherous ride down the wind tunnel of Washington Avenue can be, there is something about the warm glow of Christmas twinkle lights that melts away my stress. Maybe it’s the reminder that the holiday season is coming. Maybe it’s the fulfilment of the dorm-room aesthetic. Maybe they’re just prettier than a lamp. All I know is that a string of Christmas lights instantly warms up a room, especially when mounted along the wall under a bunked bed to scare away the shadow.

6. A bunk-bed side tray comes in clutch

You'll never have to leave your bunk-bed to get a drink of water, check your phone, put in your earbuds or grab a snack. A bedside tray that attaches to the top bunk is a necessity. It allows for easy midnight sips of water and makes silencing your alarm in the morning a breeze. Though this might make it even more difficult to get out of bed, I think the benefits outweigh the costs.

7. Independence is both good and bad

Living on my own terms is just a lot--not better or worse necessarily, just more. Spending less time in class and having nobody to tell you what to do provides for a lot of options. I am fairly responsible, so I can spend that time to get my assignments done. But I also have an..."unnatural" interest in video games. Having more choices means more opportunities to be both responsible and to waste time. Fortunately, independence provides great personal insight. Identifying your flaws and shortcomings is easier and teaches you a lot.

8. I’m still the same and so is everybody else

I have more free time. But I don’t feel any different. When I moved in, no switch flipped to turn me into a "big, independent college boy.' Even after a few weeks of class, I still feel the same as I did in high school, except now I’m pretending I’m in college. I see the tours of prospective students walking around and I remember being in those tour groups, intimidated by all the "big college kids." Because I feel pretty much the same after “the biggest change of my life,” I think everyone else has had a similar experience. We're just a bunch of kids pretending to know what we're doing. And I think that’s comforting.