I'm the oldest in my family and had no idea what to expect on my first day of college. Each person's advice was different, but I was told by everyone that I was going to love it. To make matters worse, I helped my best friend of two years move into her dorm a week before I was supposed to move into mine. She made it look effortless, and she seemed so calm. Within 24 hours she had made friends, and by the next week had decided that the 12 of them were going to share an apartment next year. She hadn't seemed nervous and wasn't afraid of getting lost on campus. Finally when my turn came to move in, I found that so much of what I had been terrified of was either entirely manageable or not as scary as I had thought it was going to be . Here are the five things I learned on my first day of college:

1. All your friends were right, 18 credits is way too much, and sticking to the average 14-16 is a much better plan.

Maybe you were feeling ambitious or were just plain terrified of being bored at college. If it's too much, it's too much and only you can decide that for yourself. Take some time to either email or meet with an adviser and discuss the situation. Keep in mind all the deadlines for dropping classes and plan accordingly.

2. The roommate situation can be sticky, so be willing to go the extra mile to keep things clean and organized.

This means pulling the hair out of the drain, using air fresher often, and offering to refill water bottles if it's convenient. Also be respectful of each others schedules. If they don't have a class until the afternoon, don't assume they will get up at seven because you have an eight o'clock class. If a problem does come up the best thing you can do is communicate: first to your roommate, and then if the situation isn't resolved, to your Resident Assistant.

3. All those orientation events can be overwhelming. Go to the mandatory ones, and then choose two or three that seem interesting.

For all the introverted extroverts out there, it is completely normal to want to hide out in your room for a few hours while you accept your fate as a penniless, hungry, student. However, this doesn't mean you can hide out for 24 hours, every day, for the entire semester. Set aside specific days to go out of your little comfort box and invite someone to sit with you, or ask to sit with someone sitting alone. Some of these encounters are successful, and you'll meet some very nice people. Some of these are not, and you'll end up eating in silence just like you did yesterday. Both are okay!

4. Take some time to go- by yourself or with a friend- to all of the classes on your schedule.

I'd been having the nightmare for weeks and suddenly my classes began in less than three days. I was petrified of losing myself in the endless hallways and five story buildings with the strangest acronyms that I could never remember. I used a notebook with color coded tabs to remind me which buildings I was going to be in each day, and went through my schedule two separate days. Use those hours to get turned around, or even lost-this will save you time on the first day of class. Going with a friend can make everything less intimidating, but you may even run into some other people going through their schedules. Work together-make it team effort!

5. You can pick who you want to be friends with on campus.

This was the absolute best advice overall that I received from a friend. You might meet some people who seem fun and interesting on that first move in day, but then discover that they only like hanging out with you because you brought your megaphone and they enjoy blaring the siren out your open window at all hours. Now you're unhappy, your Ra is unhappy, and everyone within 100 feet of your building is extra unhappy. That's the kind of situation where you'll need to take charge and remove them from the group chat. Chances are there will be plenty more people you meet in the coffee shop, in that freshman Facebook group and at the orientation trivia night. Just because you were "besties" on that very stressful move-in day, or even through the weekend, doesn't mean you're now obligated to go to breakfast, lunch, dinner and every other social event with them. Learn to say yes, learn to say no, and learn to be spontaneous.

College is where we go to learn what we're truly made of. Whether or not our dreams can become a reality. This is going to influence who we become, who our friends are five years down the road, and potentially who our future partner will be. (No pressure!). Consequently, your anxiety may be through the roof, your eyes blood shot and your wrists shaky with adrenaline or lack of sleep; no matter what happens, this is our college experience and it's up to us to make the most of it. Which is really all you can do, make the most of it, and hope for the best!