If you're like most college students, you're probably starting right out of high school like a fish out of the water.

Even if you have some idea of what college is like, there are still challenges that you'll need to overcome. Expectations are different and the workload is greater and much more challenging than in high school.

Regardless of how much guidance your parents give you, you will still have to deal with the challenges you face on your own. Actually, the more you depend on your parents, the harder it will be for you to deal with things by yourself. It's great to reach out to parents for guidance and advice but you should be doing the work by yourself, with the help of your college adviser.

One of the things that universities provide, which a lot of students seem to be unaware of, is many resources to help students navigate college smoothly.

The first thing you need to do is not to feel like you have to figure things out on your own. You should always ask for help and ask for it early. You won't believe how much time you'll waste by not asking for help early, only to end up having to ask for help later, when the situation is harder to fix. The resources the university provides are for us to use and the staff is yearning for students to use them and ask for their help. After all their jobs depend on us using them.

Some of the resources available at my university (University of Central Florida) for example, in addition to advisers, include: the Writing Center to help students with class assignments, a career services department that helps with resume building and preparing to enter the workforce, supplemental instructions for difficult classes, a food and clothing pantry to help students in need, many campus clubs to suit virtually every interest, and a clinic that provides free health screenings. All these services are available to us at no extra cost from what we pay in our tuition, and the university is always trying to get people to use them.

I was surprised to hear from many students that they were not aware of these resources that could have helped get them better grades or a slight advantage over others. Several students I talked to said they have no idea when they're graduating and have never spoken to their advisers!

At this day and age, getting a degree is really necessary to finding a decent job or even competing in the job market. There are exceptions to the rule, but the rule didn't change. One thing that's certain is it will never hurt to get that extra education. My dad always tells me that your degree will never die. Even after a person dies, that legacy will last.

The number of college dropouts in the U.S. is very high and it's already becoming a problem. The latest statistics put the number of college dropouts at two-thirds of the number of students that go to college. That's more than half of students that don't complete their degree.

If you don't want to be one of those dropouts you need to really start asking questions, getting help early, and using the resources available to you. Talk to your advisers and talk to other students about your goals and challenges. Don't miss out on the resources you have, that you're probably paying for anyway in your tuition. And join a club! It was a rewarding experience for me. It can help you find friends that are like-minded and help you come out of your shell.

Most of all you should have fun! So, use the resources available to make your college experience easier and more fun!