For all the high school seniors, graduation is slowly approaching, and I bet you guys are all ready to leave high school. No more parents telling you when to do your chores, when to get up, having to do all of your homework in one go, getting to get out of bed whenever you want; bet that all sounds good. Let me tell you this, going to college may be fun physically, possibly mentally, but financially is another story.

Tuition and room and board are just the peak of what I like to call, the pyramid of buying stuff for college. I thought that when it was prom season that my family and I spent a lot of money, but actually preparing for college and getting the necessities for it is actually worth more. Buying for college is like buying stuff to move into your new house: you need clothes, food, hangers, furniture, sheets, towels, wash clothes, hampers, electronics, etc. After all of that, once you get on campus and actually move in, here's the thing that may break you: buying textbooks.

Textbooks, the books that you need for class, but probably won't know 100% for sure if you need these books until you check your bookstore, email your professor or wait until the first day of classes to see if you actually need these books or not. Here's a little advice about them: save up your money. You see the prices that your school is selling them for, and think if you go on a different shopping network you will find them cheaper. That may be the case, but it won't be that huge of a difference. My first semester, I think I spent $400-$500 on textbooks for only five classes. You heard me, five classes. Some classes you may not need a book, some may require one, and some that may require five *coughs English/literature courses*. Either way, please save up on the hardcover/paper books because just in case you don't need these, here's the next dreaded thing you might have to get: an access code.

An access code is basically a code that you can get your textbook online so you can pull it up on your tablet or computer that you can use to follow in class and your professors can post assignments from them. Here's the thing with these, you must buy them brand new and exactly the same publisher that your book is from. These codes AREN'T cheap! There's literally a range from $50-$900 you might have to drop if you have to separately buy an access code if one doesn't come with your book and it's required for your class.

Lastly, here's just a little spill on just because you can do it in high school, doesn't mean you can do it in college:
-sleep is not for the weak
-just because you can get up at 5:45-7:00 everyday, you can't do that in college
-your weight will change, you will not stay the same
-you will experience the true definition of broke, college broke
-just because you can party all weekend and won't be tired, you won't be able to do that here without feeling what it truly means to be sleepy
-the value of sleep
-the value of having a break

When your teachers and principal say that the last four months of high school will go by quickly, believe them. Prom and graduation may seem like it is far away, but before you even grasp at it, it will be time to walk across the stage. Enjoy senior year for now because once you are in college, that is when you will truly experience what life will be like.