Class of 2017, in these upcoming weeks many of you are getting ready to march across the stage and receive your diplomas. You have worked hard to get this far, spending countless hours studying, getting involved in your school clubs like drama and student council, playing different sports like basketball and soccer, and working on numerous volunteer projects on your time off.

However, this is only the beginning of your journey. For many of you, there are at least four more years of school ahead, which will be harder than any high school class you have ever taken. However, if you properly prepare for the road ahead and listen to the advice you are given, you will do just fine. Here is a list I compiled of some of the things I found most useful as an up and coming Junior at the University of Florida.

1. Stay On Campus Your First Year

I stayed on campus my first year, and I am so thankful I did. I get that you want to feel like an adult and get your own apartment after years of being a kid, but staying in a dorm will help you make your first connections, learn the lay out campus, and get involved. I could see an obvious difference between the friends that lived on and the friends that lived off campus. The ones that lived on seemed to thrive at whatever school they went to, and quickly made new friends and got involved, and the ones that lived off seemed to be more recluse and make fewer friends.

2. Get Involved

Not all your roommates and classmates will become your best friends, so it is important to get involved in activities you like, whether that means joining a sports club, an academic club, or a sorority. This will help you come in contact with like-minded people who could turn out to be life long friends. I joined the rowing team, and have never once regretted it. The members of the team have become my best friends and study buddies.

3. Don't Be Afraid To Change

You might go to college and realize that you are not the same person you were in high school, and that is ok. The majority of students change their major at least once because it is hard to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life at 18. I was originally a nursing major, and once I switched to psychology, I was much happier and less stressed. I was even able to find research, and get more involved in my field.

4. Don't Be Afraid To Try New Things

College is the time in your life when you will have the most opportunities available, so take advantage of it. You can try new sports, whether at the club or the intramural level. You can find new activities and club that go hand in hand with your specific major or viewpoint. There are classes to teach you things you have always wanted to know like a foreign language or underwater basket weaving, and there are numerous opportunities to travel the globe, whether you study abroad or join a service group helping to build homes or care for elephants.

5. Try Not To Go Home Too Often

Don't get me wrong, going home is great, and I love seeing my parents, but it can also be harmful to your emotional health and your grades if you go home too often. College is where you learn to grow apart from your parents and function as an adult, and you cannot do this if you go home every weekend. Doing so will also keep you from making fun memories with your new friends. Text, call, and FaceTime your parents to keep in touch, but minimize the number of times you go home.

6. Get To Know Your Professors

You are starting to become an adult and the connections you make now will be important later in life. Get to know your professors by sitting in the front, participating, and going to their office hours. These professors can help you get into research in your field, find internships, write recommendation letters for grad schools and jobs, and pass their class. Take full advantage of the professors you have around you.

7. Stay On Top Of Your Classes

Most professors won't be as lenient about late work as high school teacher were, so make sure to stay on top of your classes. Get an organizer and write down the due dates of assignments including reminders for large projects or papers that you need to start early. While C's do get degrees, your grades are very important for getting into grad school, keeping scholarships, and staying in certain programs.

If you do these things, you will give yourself a leg up in college.