Coming into college will definitely seem intimidating at first, but don't fret! Millions of people before you and millions of people after you have or will be experiencing the same thing! All in all, your first year in college will be filled with different life lessons and it’ll be a year you’ll never forget!

1. Moving away is emotional and difficult.

At some point in everyone’s life, we must leave the nest and fly away into the real world. It’s a natural part of life that everyone goes through at some time or another. Being 18 years old, I found this part of my life very hard.

Most seniors in high school that are ready to graduate can’t wait to leave home and start the new college life, as was I. It wasn’t until my first week of college and my parents were long gone when I realized, “Hmm maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to leave home.”

The best way to cope with this is talking to your family every day. This could be through a text, a phone call, or even Facetime! Regardless, don’t take your family for granted and as time goes on it will get better!

2. Save money.

This might seem like an obvious thing, but trust me every college student has those days where they look at their bank account and their face immediately drops with sadness. It’s important to manage your money wisely and if that means not buying Starbucks before class or not going out tonight and wasting money on a cover, so be it!

3. Don’t be afraid to meet new people.

Whether this is someone in your class or new people in a club you’re joining, it’s important to socialize with people you’ve never met before. College is all about new experiences and networking with others. I have to admit I wasn’t the best at socializing with others, but once I met people in my dorm hall/sorority it made my huge college campus not seem so big!

4. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t go out.

Many people picture college as partying every night and going to the clubs all the time, but that’s not necessarily the case. Yes going out is fun, but it does not need to be every week. It is perfectly ok to stay in and watch Netflix all night!

Don’t let anyone make you feel “uncool” or “lame” for wanting to stay in because at the end of the day, what you want is all that matters.

5. Whether you want to or not, you must learn to become independent.

I’m not going to lie, I had it easy when I lived at home. My mom did my laundry, made my dinner, and much more. It’s not until your detached from your parents that you realize you are the one left to do all the chores. If you’re hungry, you’re responsible for making food or going out to buy groceries. If you’re sick, you have to take care of yourself. It definitely sucks, but again it’s another part of life that we all have to deal with at some point.