You did it, you graduated high school! You’re leaving your hometown and your hometown friends to start a new chapter in your life: college. Let me start off by saying college will be four of the best years of your life. You’ll learn more about yourself than you could ever expect and you will grow as a person with each and every semester. You will meet people who will end up being your friends for life and you’ll experience things that will change you, forever. As I enter my senior year of college, I figured I would share some things I wish I could tell my freshman year self or other freshman for that matter.

1. Get involved.

Getting involved is probably one of the most important things to do in college. Whether you get involved in organizations, Greek life, sports, or an on campus job, you’ll be able to network and meet so many different people on campus. Getting involved is one of the best ways to find where you belong on campus if you’re struggling and is a great way to make friends. You’ll also gain leadership experience that will look great on your resume and you’ll learn how to work with various types of people, while making friends along the way! It’s important to be known for positive things on campus. Being involved will help you in the long run for your life and career, regardless of what your major is. Experience everything your campus has to offer and put some use to that student involvement fee.

2. Actually study.

In high school, I’m sure you were able to get away with barely studying for a couple days before your test, but college is way different. You’ll probably only have a maximum of three exams for the entire semester and they’re usually worth the majority of your grade so actually study for them. Make study guides, read the book, listen in class, and try very hard to do well. One of the biggest reality checks your freshman year will be how hard exams and classes overall can be. You pay for your grades in college, so get your money’s worth and do well.

3. Nobody cares about your GPA.

There is nothing more pretentious and annoying than the person who tries to be better than everybody. I think we can all agree that the person screaming their GPA at you or posting it all over social media is undoubtedly the most frustrating. Of course, each person should be proud of themselves for working hard, but grades aren’t to be flaunted. Everybody is at this school for the same reason and everybody is smart enough to be here, so maybe keep that information to yourself.

4. “Popularity” and “Clicks” aren’t a thing in college.

It’s no secret that high school kids can be brutal when it comes to being “popular” or being in the right “click.” Those words in themselves make me cringe, so let me tell you kids who actually think those things are important or real, they aren’t real at all. In college, everyone is friends with everyone and it doesn’t matter who you were in high school. You’re not a kid in high school anymore and it’s time to grow up. If anything, people aren’t going to like you if you're judgmental, rude, and talk about how "big of a deal" you were in high school. Literally nobody cares.

5. Don't buy books from your school bookstore.

Just don’t do it, unless you absolutely have to. You’ll pay $250 for a book you’ll open maybe twice and the bookstore will buy it back for about $6 at the end of the semester. Rent from Chegg or Barnes and Noble, or try to get them from someone who has already taken the class. Buying books will already cost hundreds of dollars, so don’t make it worse and more expensive by going through your school bookstore.

6. Keep in touch with people back home.

As much fun as you're going to have once you get to school, don't forget to call your friends and family back home once in a while. Your family is going to miss you like crazy and your parents are probably nervous about you being on your own for the first time. Call your family with updates on how you're going and remind them that you miss and love them too. It also really easy to lose touch with your high school friends once you go away. So, make the effort to keep in touch. It's only going to be harder to stay close once you graduate college and everyone starts their real jobs or moves away for good, so make the effort now. Visit each others schools and make plans for breaks back home. You'll regret it later on if you start to drift away from your hometown friends.

7. Make the most of your summer.

The summer before your freshman year is the last one that truly is stress free. Yes, you should probably have a part time job to save up for all the money college will take from you, but this summer is the last one that doesn’t need to be utilized in a serious way. Once you’re in college your summers slowly become a time for full time jobs, internships, etc. Enjoy the time with your friends before you have to leave them, spend time with your family who will miss you so much, and take time to yourself to relax and enjoy being at home.

8. Don't be afraid to make mistakes.

Lastly, one of the most important parts of your college experience is to stop overthinking everything. Have fun, make mistakes, be stupid, and stop thinking so much. You only have four years here, so make the most of it. Do something you usually never would and make memories you’ll be talking about for the rest of your life. Go out way later than you should and have another drink without feeling bad about it. You’re never going to be this young again and even though academics are very important, so is the social aspect of college. You’ll never remember the night you stayed in and got a good nights sleep. Make as many friends as you can and find the ones that are worth knowing for the rest of your life. Love as much as possible, get your heart broken, and love again. Don’t be afraid to go for what you want and know that you’re capable of achieving all of your dreams. Don’t take college for granted, make best friends for life, and never be afraid of failure.