It is a widely held belief in my social circle that high school didn't prepare us for college or the real world.

Let me say that my high school teachers do not deserve any of the blame for this. They did the best with the common core they had to teach us, and every single one of the teachers I had at the high school I graduated from went above and beyond for us. I learned a lot of things there, but for the most part, they fell into one of two categories: inconsequential algebra or things about myself. Believe me, I'm not complaining about the latter! I would not be half the person I am now if I hadn't gone to Gerson; it holds some of my best memories from my teenage years.

The point I'm trying to make is that, when you're going to college, you are not as prepared as you think you are. And that's okay. Here are some things I learned in my first semester that I wish I'd known and pieces of advice people gave me that I ignored.

1. Reconsider that single dorm.

This is the biggest thing I wish I'd done differently. I started college with a mindset of "Oh, I'll be fine staying in a single dorm! I'll get out and meet people and participate in clubs!"

Spoiler alert: I did not get out, meet people, or participate in clubs.

I'd like to say that I was studying or throwing all my effort into classes. This was not the case. I was a socially anxious ball of unhealthy eating and bad coping skills and I just stayed in my room most of my first few weeks on campus. I'm almost positive that if I'd had a roommate to hold me accountable or at the very least to talk to about how I was feeling, I wouldn't have spent so much time cooped up in my room.

Yes, it can be scary to have to share living space with someone you don't know. But the worst thing that can happen is you two don't get along. And quite possibly you'll have a friend and an ally who's got your back.

2. Don't let fear hold you back.

Since I was a kid, I've had a fear of needles. When I was about six, I was at the doctor getting blood drawn. Instead of facing it like the big kid I so desperately wanted to be, I hid in the bathroom next to the exam room, cried, and farted multiple times hoping my mother would be sufficiently embarrassed to be around me. It did not work.

As an adult, some of the things I will go out of my way to avoid are needles, pain, and unnecessary bloodshed. When my younger brother started donating blood at the ripe old age of 17, I was impressed and also wanted nothing to do with giving blood myself. But then one day I walked into my building only to see a Red Cross blood drive going on.

And I thought to myself "How bad could it possibly be?" and I walked up to the check-in table and signed myself in as a blood donor.

That first time I got temporarily deferred because my hemoglobin level was one-half of a point below the threshold for donating blood, and the next time there was a blood drive I had just broken my wrist and the nurse told me that if I were her daughter, she wouldn't let me give blood until I got the cast off, and I took her advice.

The third time I went to donate blood was actually two hours after the cast came off. And that time my hemoglobin levels were high enough and my wrist wasn't broken, and none of the answers I gave to the health questions they ask you were problematic.

I will never get over the slight scared feeling that a tube full of blood coming into or going out of any part of my body gives me, but that day I did something that could save someone's life. For me, that feeling of being able to help was worth the discomfort.

3. Watch your meal plan balance.

You'd think this one would be a given, but for some of us, it is not. When you have $2,372 to spend at the beginning of the semester and no real experience budgeting money, you feel rich! I already have a tendency to go a little nuts where food is concerned, and when I had the freedom to eat pints of Ben & Jerry's every day for breakfast...I absolutely did. For two weeks.

(Incidentally, it's been three months since I ate Ben & Jerry's ice cream.)

Always take advantage of events where there will be free food! Invest in a water bottle or just reuse a plastic one and stick to drinking water as much as possible. Soda and coffee are delicious and both play a larger role in my life than I care to admit, but water is important to your health and also free (from drinking fountains) at most reputable college campuses.

4. Resist the urge to skip classes.

Do. Not. Skip. Class. Unless. You. Absolutely. Have. To.

I cannot say this enough. I missed so much class during the first month of my first college semester just because I didn't feel like going, and it is almost impossible to catch up once you've fallen on that path. If you're genuinely sick or have some kind of extenuating circumstance that doesn't boil down to "Nah, I don't really feel like it," that's one thing—just don't let a lack of motivation get you stuck in a rut that you can't dig yourself out of.

If you're stuck in a rut of just not wanting to go to class, some things that helped me a lot were talking to friends and getting them to hold me accountable, as well as bribing myself with things I like to eat. I keep a bag of mint chocolate Milano cookies in my room at all times now because they're an excellent motivational tool for me.

5. Keep your living space (somewhat) organized.

I realize that this is something you've heard since you were a kid, but it never stops being any less important. In college, especially if you like to sleep in, it's practically vital to know exactly where your shoes are so you can get ready as quickly as possible before your class starts.

Throw your trash in your trash can (it's there for a reason) and take out the trash regularly. Invest in something to make your room smell more pleasant. Put your dirty clothes in a laundry bin, not on the floor. Keep your shoes in some semblance of order.

It's a pain to develop habits, but these are little things you can do that will make your quality of life so much better.

6. Reach out when you need help.

If you're struggling in a particular class, don't hesitate to see what kind of resources are available to you. Talk to your professors if you're confused—they've all got office hours for a reason, and that reason is to be available to you. And here at Kent State there are entire programs dedicated to helping people who are, for whatever reason, having difficulties in their classes. Look into the resources available on your campus. Chances are, there are people willing to do whatever they can to help you.

But you have to be willing to help yourself.

7. Make time for the things you need to do.

This one's tricky. There's a balance to be had between devoting all your time to your studies and homework and (if you're me) browsing the dankest memes you can find nonstop or (if you're not me) going out and partying every night. It'll take some time to figure out what ratio of work to play is right for you. I still haven't gotten it perfect; I don't think I ever will.

Don't overwork yourself, and on the other side of the coin don't spend all your time going hog wild (or memeing).