9 Things I Learned After 18 Months of College

Your roommate can be your best friend or your worst enemy — be kind, be smart, and be willing to give. (But in the words of the Great Katherine Burns: “Don’t take any shit.”)
This is slightly contentious, I think you should go to a school where you know people. If the choice is between a school your friends go to and one where you don’t know anyone, go with friends. There’s something to be said for reinventing yourself and branching out, but there’s also something for having a familiar face when you feel like midterms are going to kill you.
Use your meal plan to its fullest and get creative. Explore all dining halls (even the far away ones), put some weird shit in a panini press, and try the breakfast every once in a while. I know I certainly didn’t and the day I did changed my life — unlimited eggs and hashbrowns are God’s gift to mankind.
I learned my Dad was right about so many things. More than I ever thought. When you really have no idea what to do about something, call your parents. I guarantee it won’t hurt.
Eventually you’ll have to move out of the dorms. Pick a roommate with similar values, spending habits, and a cool vintage aesthetic for decorating. Just kidding. But really, pick someone who’s face you won’t mind seeing every day for the next year, even when they’re stupid drunk or having the moodiest day ever.
It is possible to not read anything for half a semester and ace the midterm. I’ve done it, your friends have done it, that annoying slacker in your 101 class has done it. Don’t. It’s not worth the hours of last minute cramming in a McDonald’s (because it’s the only place with 24 hours WiFi) while you and your friends stress eat McFlurrys.
Pro tip: a frat house is not a place you want to lose something. Keep everything in a secure pocket and make sure you have a friend to watch out for your stuff. Or befriend the guy watching the closet and stash your stuff safely.
I hate to be a fun-killer. I really do. But here’s my drunk advice: when you are drunk around other people, on campus property, or people who you want to impress act like your parents are watching you. Or at the very least like they could appear from around the corner at any moment. This will help you avoid unnecessary fights, drinking tickets, and awkward next morning texts. Seriously. Get crazy when you’re with your friends at their apartment. Don’t put yourself in dangerous situations.
Find a friend who’s down for anything. Like if you want to try naked hot yoga or go to a meeting for that weird organization about international art films about dogs, they’ll go with. Or, and even better, be that friend.

Now, this is all coming from a nineteen year old in her second year of college. I am by no means an expert. However, I have visited more colleges than I can count, lived in the beautiful Boulder and explored NYC and gotten lost in rural Illinois.

Keep your mind open, be safe and smart, and breathe every once in a while.