Hey there, high school grad! You have completed step one in becoming an actual adult and now it's time for the next hurdle: college. Excited? Nervous? Well, regardless of how prepared you feel for this next part of your life, transitioning from high school to college can be an exhausting and confusing ordeal. To help with any "how am I supposed to survive without my mom?" nerves you have left, here is some real advice from a slightly more experienced college student.
First and foremost: do not take that 8 am class.
It does not matter how much of a morning person you were in high school or how much that little voice in your head says "I just did it for four years, surely this will be easy". It is not easy. A few weeks into the semester, you'll be breaking every promise you made to your mother and skipping this class in favor of an extra hour of sleep in the morning. Love yourself enough to schedule this class in later, when you'll be less likely to murder someone.
Second: bring more water bottles than you think you'll need.
Parents, look away for this paragraph. While I'm sure none of your well-behaved and lawful children would EVER experiment with alcohol before they are 21, some "other students" will inevitably find themselves in the party scene at least once or twice during the semester. If you're under 21, some stealth may be required to party with your new friends on the weekend. Oblique water bottles are an under-aged college student's best friend in this field.
Owning washable plastic bottles is a mark of any environmentally-aware teenager, and unless you want your favorite memorable water bottle to somehow still smell like Malibu three weeks after that time you put rum in it, it is best to have at least one bottle specifically for booze and a separate one for water.
Third: eat your vegetables.
I'm gonna be real with you here: the freshman fifteen is terribly, terribly real. With the dining halls serving french fries and pizza every day and the stress of your new classes, eating your weight in junk food is a very present activity for many freshmen. Make your parents happy and eat a salad or two once in a while, convince yourself to visit the gym once in a while, or just resign yourself to the fact that no one stays the weight they were at 18 and snack while watching Netflix. I guarantee you others are already doing the same thing.
Fourth: know your way.
As someone with the internal compass of a stationary brick, I got lost frequently in my first few weeks at a large college campus. You may feel a little foolish asking for directions, especially if you have to do it more than once, but this is a time of extreme changes and learning for you. Don't feel bad about forgetting this one small detail. Eventually you'll be able to navigate across campus in your sleep. Plus, the longer you wait to ask a question like that, the more embarrassed you'll be. So do yourself a favor and learn your campus routes and stops early.
And finally...
You got this, buddy! My last piece of advice is to be open to new experiences and people. High school will have nothing on this.
