Making the transition from high school to college is one of the biggest changes you will ever go through. There is so much coming your way and you have to handle it so quickly. There is little guidance and not much people can say because everyone does things differently. If we were all the same and college was a breeze for everyone, there would not be any fun stories or any articles like this one.

In order to help some people through some of the things that I have gone through my freshman year and all the years following, I wanted to put together this article.

1. Sports are not a necessity, they're for fun

When I started my search for the right school, I was playing golf. Golf dictated a large amount of where I went as well. My sophomore year, half way through, I got an amazing job offer and took it and decided to let golf go. I wish I had known earlier that sports are not the most important thing but education is. Since I have no longer been playing a sport, I have had 2/3 semesters with a 4.0.

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I understand that there are many athletes who accomplish this while playing sports. But I was so focused on my athletic career that I was straining myself to be focused on my academic career. At some point, I also had to think about my career in general. I have continued to work for the last two years and have really grown as a person. For me, athletics did not play a role in building who I am, but my academic and professional careers have allowed for me to develop into a better person.

2. Think quality over quantity in terms of friendship

Throughout high school, there is a clique type feel to friendship. It seems as though there is a big transition to having fewer friends, but better friends. At first, this feels like an issue. You might feel like you have no friends but it's important to look around and take a collective view on what you do have. I have a solid three friends. And for a while, that was difficult for me to deal with. But the more I evaluated these friendships, I realized that they were not temporary friendships, but life long relationships.

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3. College isn't what you see in the movies

Yes, there are parties but it is not constant. If you are partying constantly, your grades are probably reflecting that.

Go out and have fun, don't get me wrong. But college is a lot of responsibility and time management. If you do not have the time to go to a party because of an assignment due at midnight, I suggest to do the assignment and skip the party. That is not what the movies show. Don't come prepared for large amounts of partying and great grades because it is extremely difficult to have one without the other.

4. Don't discredit your education because you're at a small college

I attend a small private college in Michigan, Olivet College. And often times, I feel as though others think my education is less because of attending a smaller school. All of my professors have doctorate degrees and are highly educated, just like at a larger institution. I have a friend who attends Michigan State University and we are learning nearly the same things in our classes that are similar. Don't think that your education will be less because of attending a smaller school. There are great relationships that are made when attending a smaller school.

5. You're going to experience a lot of change in the next four years

There is going to be a large amount of change that is coming your way. First off, you are living away from your parents for the first time (probably). You are going to have so much guidance that comes from you instead of your parents. The change might be seen through your parents, as this is a big change for them too. "Empty Nest Syndrome" is a real thing and parents really struggle with it. But you might too. Be ready to explore many things. Try new things. Go to that party. Do something that your parents might not agree with.

My boyfriend always tell me: "Nothing that doesn't scare you is worth doing". I think college is such a great time to do things you are uncomfortable with. Push yourself and you will be amazed.