Jess' Declassified College Survival Guide

Okay, so I may not be too experienced at college life and I may have to struggle to get my homework done before it's due and I may not leave my dorm, but I think what I have to say might be helpful to at least some of you. So, here's a few tips to get you through your freshman year alive!

1. Keep your dorm door open as much as possible! - Usually people will walk around saying hi to everyone the first couple of weeks. It's easiest to make friends the first week so don't be afraid to go talk to people too! SO many people came into my dorm to say hi and look to see how we set up the room. People were coming by from other buildings even!

2. Do not buy your books before you know for sure which ones you need. - If you get an email from your professor saying that you need all of the recommended books for that class then just buy them as soon as you can. If you do end up buying your books before you are told you need them, make sure you can return them because you might not end up using them. I spent over $800 total on books and didn't use more than half of them.

3. Don't buy your books. - You definitely don't need to buy your books. You should rent them from your school bookstore or at least buy them from other students and/or Amazon. It's just a waste of money on something you're only going to use for a couple of months. Trust me on this, I had to learn the hard way.

4. Stay Organized! - Figure out a few ways to stay organized just in case one ends up not working for you. If you don't stay organized the first week you aren't going to be organized later.

5. Figure out how to study. - This is something you're going to need to learn really quickly. Just skating by on what you remember from class isn't going to work here. Studying for college exams is a lot different than studying for high school tests. I usually make flash cards for my tests and memorize those and do practice problems and that helps me a lot. You just have to figure out what works for you and stick to it!

6. Get Involved! - Getting involved on campus is a great way to make friends. You could join a sorority or a club and definitely go to as many events as you can. They're honestly so much fun and you won't regret going.

7. Don't go home for at least the first few weeks. - Going home the first few weekends makes it so much harder to adjust. I've gone home almost every weekend since I got here and all I want to do now is be home. I can't go home until November now and I'm really home sick because I've left so much. Just rip off the bandaid and you'll be fine!

8. Meet your roommate before going to college. - If it's possible, meeting your roommate before you get to college has so many advantages. This way you can plan your room together and you can figure out who is bringing what so you don't show up with two TV's and two microwaves. Plus, this way you know who they are and aren't totally surprised when you arrive.

9. Set 'rules' for your dorm with your roommate. - You definitely need to set boundaries with your roommate so you can live happily with minimal conflict. Make sure they know when you are okay with them having friends over and if they can eat your food or not so you don't randomly go to get a granola bar or something and discover that they're all gone.

10. Look for your classes before the first day. - Figuring out how to get to your classes makes your first day so much less stressful. This way you can know how long it takes you to get to each class and you know when you have to leave and when you have to wake up. If your campus has buses, I would definitely recommend taking a day just to ride them around to get a feel for how the routes work and if you need to take the bus to get to one of your classes you won't get lost or end up late.

If you're feeling scared or upset, don't give up! Your family is only a phone call away and I'm sure they wouldn't mind you calling them crying because you miss them. You aren't the only one that's feeling this way. Everyone gets sad and nervous when they first get to college. It's a totally normal reaction! Have fun and stay safe kids!