The transition between high school and college is quite large, and I have learned a lot in just the three and a half months I've been here. Whether it was the hard way or the easy way, I've fallen into the college routine. Here's some things I learned along the way.

1. People aren't that scary

Meeting new people and talking to them sounded terrifying when I first got here, but they're not as bad as I thought they were. Especially here at Gustavus, everyone is super nice, and all the freshman were in the same boat as I was. People are more often friendly than mean or scary, and I realized that and made some good friends through that discovery.

2. 90-degree weather and dorms with no AC do not mix

Bring your fans, kids. September can be a hot one, and having no air conditioning doesn't help. I brought a small fan and my roommate didn't even bring one. The weather got up to 100 degrees one day, and trust me, it's not fun. You just have to suck it up or spend lots of time in the campus buildings that have air conditioning. And remember the fans.

3. If a group of people you just met invite you to adventure in the woods, do it.

It sounds a little crazy, maybe a little Friday-the-13th-like, but it's spontaneous and if the people don't seem like they're trying to kill you, it could be a way to make friends. At least that's what happened to me. My first interaction with my now good friends happened to be a Wednesday night trip to 7 Mile Creek, and it was definitely worth it. So be spontaneous. You never know what will come from it.

4. Never underestimate the power of a 15-minute nap

Trust me, it's magical. Especially when you didn't get much sleep the night before and you have a little bit of time between classes, 15 minutes can really save you. It's short enough to give you time to do other things but long enough to give you a little energy boost. I didn't take very many naps in high school, but I pretty much take at least once a day. I don't know if I could function without one.

5. Make time for lunch

When signing up for classes, I just picked classes and made sure they lined up with each other. I didn't stop and see if I had time to eat in between. On most days I was booked from 9 AM to 3:30 PM. Especially if you aren't a breakfast eater, it's important to get your meals in. Give yourself a break in the middle of it all to eat or take a nap or catch up on homework. Re-energize yourself.

6. Procrastinating is still bad!!

You have fewer classes you have to do homework for, but that doesn't mean they aren't as important. Trust me, it's easy to put it off, but you'll feel a lot better about getting it done. I had a three hour period from about 3-6 PM where the dorms were quiet and all of my friends were either busy with sports, music, or homework. Find that time and do your work then. You'll fall into a routine and you'll get things done. It's not fun staying up late doing homework. Give yourself time.

7. Look forward to the little things, like mac and cheese Thursdays in the caf

College can be stressful, and there are a lot of things going on. Sometimes you just have to enjoy the little things to keep you going when things get rough. I always love Thursdays at GAC because that means they have mac and cheese during lunch time. Sometimes joy in the small things is more important than bigger events.

8. You just have to get used to people randomly screaming on your floor

You live in a building with a lot of other people. The dorm walls aren't the thickest and college students aren't the quietest. I can tell you for a fact that it is a normal occurrence to hear a loud yell or scream down the hall at two in the afternoon. Sometimes two in the morning. Dorms are pretty noisy, but it's not hard to get used to.

9. ALWAYS check the weather before you leave your dorm.

At least look out the window. If there's snow on the ground, it's probably cold out. Grab a jacket. There were a couple times where I forgot an umbrella and had to walk all the way across campus in just my sweatshirt. Sitting through class soaking wet is not fun. You have to walk everywhere. Do yourself a favor.

10. Living 3-10 seconds from your friends is both wonderful and dangerous

My friends all live on the same side of our dorm building and are either just barely down the hall or a flight of stairs away. If I need a hug or I have a question, or just want to have a good time, I don't have to travel very far. It's wonderful to be so close, but also very dangerous. I've definitely hung out with my friends just down the hall until four in the morning more than once. You just have to know when to get up and leave. It's harder than you'd think.

11. Everything will be okay

Honestly, this is so true. I was scared at first that classes would be too hard and friends would be hard to make, but it all worked out. My classes were fine, I made friends, I may not have gotten the best sleep but I still got sleep. I ended my first semester with a smile and a lot of memories, and I wouldn't change a thing.