Now, in my final semester, I can’t help, but feel nostalgic when looking back on the past four years of my life. I can still remember being dropped off my first weekend freshmen year as a bright eyed, bushy tailed 18 year old ready to take on the world. I was overwhelmed and captivated all at once. Little did I know that the next four years would hold some of the best and worst days of my life thus far. Now, being in the final months of my senior year, getting ready to take on the real world, I only wish I could go back and give my freshman self a few pieces of advice. So to any and all college freshmen, take it from someone whose college life is now coming to an end and be sure to know the basics.

1. Meet New People

Whatever you do, be sure to meet as many people as you possibly can. If you are out at a party and see someone who is in one of your classes, be sure to say “hi.” Ask to sit with someone who is eating lunch alone. Set up a study date with the person who sits next to you every Thursday at your 8 AM. One seemingly random interaction could lead to the greatest of friendships down the road.

2. Go To That Party

Really, just go -- even if you have a paper due the next day. Scribble down an outline to help you feel productive then throw on your favorite pair of heels with some ruby red lipstick. Stay out all night laughing and drinking with the girls you just met in the bathroom while attempting to fix your hair. These will be the nights you remember most, not the ones you stayed up cramming in last minute work.

3. Go To Class

Coming from a serial skipper, please take my advice and just go to class. The hour long lecture that you now see as torture won’t compare to sitting in front of a desk for eight hours straight four years from now. Who knows -- you might actually learn something too.

4. Join Anything & Everything

Join the hammock club. Join the intramural flag football team. Join a sorority. Join all three. Just join something. You are already paying for college, so you might as well take full advantage of everything it has to offer.

5. Bad Times Lead To Good Times

When something bad happens and you believe it is the end of the world, I can guarantee you it’s not. That failed exam won’t keep you from graduating, that one boy won’t keep you from moving on with your life, and that one party you missed won’t end your social life. Like I said, college will have some seemingly bad times, but I promise you that they will always be outweighed by the good.

6. Take Advantage Of Dining Halls

Just trust me on this one.

7. Call Your Parents

The older you get, the more you’ll wish you would have. It is great that you are growing up, but remember that they are growing older. Make time for them. There’s a good chance they are a part of the reason you are where you are today.

8. Get To Know Your Professors

Don’t be scared to stop by office hours and chat, even if it has nothing to do with class. Some professors may turn out to surprise you. Four years down the road, these could also be the people you turn to for career advice.

9. Study Abroad

Never in my life have I heard a single bad thing about studying abroad. You get to travel and explore, immerse yourself in a new culture, and make great friends along the way. Even if you have to take five classes one semester or throw in an online summer session, do it. You’ll thank me when you get back from your trip.

10. Be Open To New Ideas

College is not a time to be stuck in your old ways. Listen to other’s opinions. Respect their passions and acknowledge their fears. Not everyone is going to see the world the way you do and that’s the best part.

11. Do Not Go Looking For Love

Love will not come from that boy you met five seconds ago in the basement of a frat house. It won’t come from the boy whose text you have been waiting on for the past three days either. It will come at the moment when you don’t expect it. Even more so, when you know you don’t need it. Continue living your life and let love find you.

12. Grow

You won’t leave college as the same person you were when you began and that’s okay. College is for learning, experiencing, and discovering who you are. Allow yourself to grow as a person in every sense of the word. Change is good. Embrace it.