As weird as it might feel to close the high school chapter in your life, just remember you’re about to start one of the best journey's in your life: college. Although you don’t know this yet, college is infinitely better than high school whether you loved high school or hated it. With this being said it can be very nerve-racking thinking about the upcoming move in date. Here are 8 pieces of advice to incoming freshmen that I wish someone told me as I walked in my freshman dorm room:

1.Don’t be afraid to make friends.

Coming in as a freshman, everyone is in the same boat and trust me when I say that everyone is just as desperate to make friends as you are (someone will make eye-contact with you and you both think you guys are best friends). As scary as it might sound, go down your hall and introduce yourself to everyone because some of those people might end up being your roommates senior year. Despite how alone you might feel on move in day, just know that by the end of the week or month you’re going to be having the time of your life with kindhearted people who make you laugh until you cry (or pee....no judgement).

2. Keep in touch with the people you want to keep in touch with.

High school was not for everyone and that’s okay. With that being said that doesn’t mean you have to stop all contact with your friends from home-it’s a choice that you get to make. Stay in touch with the people who you want to stay in touch with because those are the friendships that are going to last you through college.

3. You don’t have to decide your entire future during your first semester.

Getting adjusted to freshman year is hard-you are in a totally different environment, you are taking difficult classes and your mom isn’t there when you get sick (worst part about college). But don’t stress yourself out by thinking about what your life is going to look like 20 years down the road (I'm a sophomore and I still forget what classes I'm currently enrolled in). Just take a deep breath, take classes that interest you and your major will find you.

4. Your freshman year GPA counts.

Remember that your college GPA is cumulative so put in work during your freshman year! It’s definitely an adjustment going from 20 kids in your class to 400, but don’t be afraid to meet with the professor or a TA. College classes are hard, but it makes such a difference when you put the effort and time into them.

5. Save your Gen Eds for when you go abroad.

Gen Eds are general education requirements that you have to fill no matter what major you're in. If you know what major you want to pursue then take your major requirements and save your Gen Eds for when you go abroad. These classes are easier to transfer over where as classes for your major are harder to do so. Also Gen Eds are often easier and will give you more time to enjoy the city, the people and more importantly the food.

6. Appreciate being home.

The summer before freshman year is weird. Everyone is getting ready to head off in their different directions yet still trying to have some last minute fun. Just remember that as ready as you might be to go off to college, you’re going to miss your friends, your parents, your bed and your dogs (mostly your dogs). So spend as much time with your friends and family as you can because you will soon come to learn how lucky you are to have them in your life (and how good your moms cooking really is).

7. Get involved.

During the first couple weeks of college your school will probably hold an activities fair-go to it! You can get involved in really cool clubs and programs that weren’t offered in high school. They have everything from Quidditch teams to reptile clubs (my personal worst nightmare, but that's just me). Also just as a side note any club sport usually holds try-outs the first or second week of school so keep an eye out if that’s something you’re interested in.

8. Be yourself.

I know this is the most cliché thing I could have written (still kind of mad at myself for this one), but it’s true! Be who you want to be and do what you want to do because you’re going to find friends no matter what. There’s no such thing as the “popular group” in college so be yourself and you’ll attract the right friends.