As the school year rapidly comes to an end, in less than three weeks I will pack up my freshman year dorm room, say goodbye to all my new friends and get in the car with my parents to drive eight hours back home for the summer. I've learned, lost and screwed things up many times throughout both semesters, so here's 10 things I learned my freshman year of college.

1. Time management is important

Getting involved in different extracurricular activities is very important, however managing your academic and social responsibilities is a good balance to maintain. Get started on homework ahead of time, work on it between classes and whatever you do, don't cram for exams. It may have worked in high school, but that habit will be a rude awakening in college.

2. Find like-minded roommates

I can't count the amount of random roommate horror stories I've heard from classmates of a roommate keeping them up at night, inviting significant others over without their permission and invading personal boundaries. They almost never end well.

Before the school year starts, schedule your orientation on the same day to meet and get to know each other. If you live semi-close, find a place to get coffee or lunch and get a sense of who they are. At least you won't be stressing about not getting along when you see that ahead of time.

3. Find a job on campus

Think about all the college spirit wear you've probably bought during the first couple weeks of the semester, how often you buy coffee at Starbucks or those late-night cravings of wings orders. What if you're in a Greek organization? Money adds up quickly, so it's a good idea to find a job on campus to alleviate some of those costs from your parents and take them into your own hands. Most college students have jobs on campus.

4. Laziness has no place in college

In high school, it's easy to procrastinate, push off schoolwork until it's nighttime and say up all night to cram for exams because you want to take a nap, scroll through social media or do something else that isn't homework. That doesn't fly in college.

Many classes require several hours of studying per lecture if you want to get an A by the end of the semester, and that means putting the partying, napping, significant other or Netflix aside to stay on top of school work. Don't get me wrong, all of these are totally fine to do, but they shouldn't take priority over academics. There is no time to be lazy, this is about your degree now.

5. Be careful about college parties

Because this is OU that I'm talking about, I know very well how crazy parties like the ones during fest season can get. While letting loose and having fun is great, be very careful of your surroundings and the people around you. Don't ever leave your drink unattended and don't drink anything if you don't know what it is.

Thankfully this has never happened to me, but friends have told me about their concerns of people leaving parties almost unable to walk normally because they don't even realize what was mixed into the drink to make it so strong.

6. Get to know your professors

Especially the ones who are in your department. You don't get one on one interaction with them in those big intro class lecture halls, so go to their office hours, ask for advice on scheduling, go over your exams together and say hi to them around campus. When you apply for jobs on campus and in the real world or are applying to grad school, you'll need references and having a professor in your specialty write you a letter of recommendation will help tremendously.

7. Explore the area around campus

If you live on campus, explore the surrounding area. Find new places to eat, a new favorite coffee shop, the nearest movie theatre and more to do in your free time. So grab a friend and adventure, get to know the town/city, acquire a new hobby. College is a new chapter of your life, so make the most of it!

See also: 10 Common Stereotypes About Sorority Girls That Are 100% False

8. Join a club or sport

The easiest way to make friends at a new school is to join different organizations that are based off your major, interests, hobbies, talents and even go out for a sports team if you were an athlete in high school. You'll find like-minded people who share the same interests as you and can quickly become close.

9. You'll get some bad grades

And that's normal. Coming into college, you'll learn how to study in a different way to do well on exams, projects, and presentations that you did in high school. It is a big transition that has a lot of big leaps in course loads, depending on what your major is. Nobody said the transition was going to be easy, and you can learn from mistakes.

10. Most importantly, enjoy it!

But don't go too crazy with your new freedom. Freshman year is a chance to begin with a new slate at a new school with new people. Have fun, enjoy it, find your passion, learn to be independent and do your best! It'll go by faster than you realize.

Freshman year is a year of trial and error. You'll make mistakes, do dumb things and make smart decisions as well. So smile, learn and laugh along the way!