Within the next few weeks, most of you are going to be moving into your first college dorm. You might think you know what to expect, but this is going to be a completely new experience. You're probably going to hear this a million times your first week alone, but this isn't high school anymore.

To be completely honest, all the orientation stuff and special events the first few days might make it feel like summer camp on steroids, but once that dies down, you'll have a lot of freedom, freedom you won't know what to do with. The biggest piece of advice I can give anyone going into their first year of college is to use your freedom wisely.

It's up to you whether or not you go to class. It's up to you if you study or not. It's up to you if you want to put in half the effort you normally would into all your work. Your parents aren't going to be watching over your shoulder to motivate you, and very few professors will chase you down over missing work or poor grades.

It can be very easy to let things slip your first year, especially because the consequences for those actions don't show up until it's too late.

Having to hold yourself accountable all the time is going to seem difficult at times. Your world is going to seem like it's flipped upside-down sometimes. Your relationships with your friends aren't always going to be perfect. All of that is perfectly okay.

Once you make it through the stress of it all, you'll realize it's worth it because your education is finally in your own hands. Take advantage of that. This is your time to pave the way for your future. You have to be an advocate for yourself and take care of yourself as well.