I am starting my fifth and last year in college in a few weeks, and you better believe that there is no one more excited for May 13 than...my dad. Not that I need to defend myself, but only 19 percent of us graduate within four years.

The summer I moved to Denver, I worked with a camp that is very close to my heart. Eagle Lake was not only inspirational, but I met a group of high school girls for whom I still pray. The girls graduated this past May, and it got me thinking about my experience leaving my home, moving away and entering my first year of college. I thought about all of the things I wish I knew. Here they are:

Talk to your family often.

Don’t just text them; call them, Facetime them. I mean REALLY talk to them. Let them know how you're doing. Honesty is key. There is no one that will love you through more crap, support your wildest dreams and lovingly throw you an intervention because your life isn’t flourishing. Your family (whomever that may be) are the most genuine people. Cherish them. Love them. Talk to them.

Friends are forever, boys are usually seasonal.

Courtesy of my dear camp friend Marf. The bond you have with your girlfriends is much too great to throw away for a boy. The man you end up marrying will encourage your relationship with your girlfriends, not end them. With that said, don't stay in any toxic relationships—

Freshmen 15 is real.

It may not happen until you're about to graduate and it's a thing that most people joke about, but I am being serious. It's not the end of the world if you gain some weight, just be aware.

You get out what you put in.

College may (not) be the "best four years of your life," but if all you do is study, the four years will definitely not be fun. Make memories, stay up late, go to your 8am class on 2 hours of sleep.

Understand that you can say yes or no.

Master the definitive "no," or the playful "yes." I thought that by saying "yes" to the majority of events, I would never miss out on some super great college experience. That's not true. You can say no and stay in if you're not feeling it. But you can also say yes. College is a great big melting pot. There are going to be things you wanna go to and there will be things you won't want to go to, and that's okay.

The first month is hell.

You'll get lost. You'll miss your hometown. Change is hard. Being surrounded by new people is hard. Roommates are hard. Classes are boring, but you will survive and you will thrive. Also, you are never alone. Hundreds of kids are going through the same things all around you.

Change is O.K.

If you are not happy with your major, change it. If you're not happy with your roommate, move. If you're not happy/thriving at the college or university, transfer. It is okay to not know what you want to study, it is okay to not like your roommate or campus.

Don't get me wrong, college is fun and overwhelming, and I am beyond ready to graduate and be an adult or something. But I wish I would have known these things (alongside many others). You make mistakes, you go out the night before an 8am class every week, and you learn. I think that college is good. I believe in education, but college is far more than that. You discover your beliefs, your ideas and your dislikes on a different level. Just don't be in a rush to grow up because I've been told that there is more responsibility once you graduate and that sucks. It's scary, it's fun and it's worth it (not the loans though).