Your mom is fighting back tears as your dad gives you that one “final” piece of advice. You are a college freshman, in a brand new place and on your own for the first time in 18 years. It is a feeling that is liberating, yet frightening.

My first week of college left me wishing I had been more prepared. So, I have taken it upon myself to create a survival guide for incoming college freshman.

• Do yourself a favor and refrain from purchasing a lanyard for your room key and university identification card. As convenient as they are, they are just about as cool as Crocs. You don’t want to walk around campus with the light of a new confused college student beaming from your lanyard.

• The first week of classes is difficult, especially if you are like me and never explored campus until it was too late. Nose deep in a map, lost and late for class as you walk into the wrong classroom three times. Here is a HUGE piece of advice. Find somebody familiar with the campus and kindly ask him or her to walk you through your class schedule. Nine times out of ten, they will help you. When I was lost on my first day of classes, I was too afraid to ask. We have all been through it, don’t hesitate to ask.

• Don’t get carried away with the dining hall. Just because it appears as an all you can eat buffet doesn’t mean you have to treat it as such. But I get it. I was raised by a full on health nut my entire life. In high school, dinners consisted of sautéed vegetables and whole grain everything. So imagine my surprise when I first got to college. But trust me, eating in college is similar to a race. Don’t get carried away in the first couple of weeks because I guarantee that you will get sick of the food if you do so. Pace yourself.

• The freshman 15 is not in any way a myth, be careful.

• Get a shower caddy. You are going to be in a dorm setting where you will probably have to take a short walk just to get to the bathroom. A shower caddy allows you to hold everything you need.

• While on the topic of showering, keep in mind that you are sharing these showers with a lot of other people. Buy a cheap pair of flip flops to wear in those disgusting dorm showers.

• Be as social as you can. Keep your door propped open because it invites people to stop by and say hello. The experience of living in the dorms is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. Make the most out of it. The less time that you spend alone in your room watching Netflix or playing video games, the better.

• The absolute most important piece of advice that I can give to you is NEVER SKIP CLASS! It is really hard when nobody is telling you to wake up for your early class, but it is simply not worth it to skip classes. Not to mention that by skipping these classes you are losing money.

• Realize that every teacher tests differently. The first exam of the semester gives you a good reference point for the remaining tests. Don’t become a slave to the study guide, learn outside of the box. Take diligent notes in class.

Although this article is labeled as a survival guide, there is nothing that can truly prepare you for such a change. As the great Jerry Seinfeld said, “It's like any growth….” I believe that experience is the best teacher. The memories and experiences that I made my freshman year will be forever embedded within me and I am incredibly grateful for that. Take this with a grain of salt and make the most of your college experience!