There is no doubt going from the top of the totem pole as a senior in high school, knowing where everything is and how everything works, down to the bottom as a new college freshman can be a scary experience. It helps if you have older siblings in college who can teach you the do's and dont's. Unfortunately, someone has to be the first born and be the guinea pig for these sort of things. In my family that person was me. For anyone else who is the eldest child of their family, they can probably relate to also being that child.

When I first came to college I didn't know what I was doing, all I did know was that I didn't want it to stand out that I was a freshman. I wish I had an older sibling around that could have told me about the college norms, but I didn't. So here is a little advice to all them other eldest children going into college with no idea what to do or how to act.

1. Do not wear your lanyard around your neck.

2. On the first day of class leave a few minutes early so you won't be that person who walks in late because you couldn't find the room.

3. Don't go to the gym in large packs, three maybe four people max.

4. Do not one-strap your backpack, that was only a thing in high school. In college you two-strap it. (Mostly because it is too heavy to one-strap it!)

5. There is no such thing as a "try-hard" in college, especially when tuition is on the rise.

6. It is totally normal and socially acceptable to eat alone, especially at lunch.

7. Don't feel like you are being rude if you walk to and from classes with earbuds in, pretty much everyone does.

8. The gym can be very intimidating the first couple of times but stick with it. You are not the only one feeling that way.

9. Don't be that person who leaves the door open while blaring music. Nobody else wants to hear it.

10. Also don't blare your music late at night, people are trying to sleep or study.

11. Staying up past midnight to study is perfectly normal. Even studying until 2 AM is normal some nights.