After four years of undergrad, I learned a lot of small lessons about college life. Things that I never could have predicted I would need to know freshman year. I’m about to start grad school in a couple weeks and I’m sure I’ll be learning more, but for now, here are some of the things I’ve accumulated over the past four years.

Health and Beauty

• Get a good, insulated water bottle and fill it with water every day. Even if you don’t drink all of it, just having it with you will encourage you to drink more water. Heck, get two so you can still have one when you realize at 8 am on a Wednesday morning that you didn’t wash the first bottle when you planned to.
• It doesn’t need to be an expensive water bottle. Hell, it shouldn’t be expensive. You’re going to be taking this thing everywhere with you. It’s going to get beat up, dropped and get dirty. Target has some for less than $10 like this one or this one. I have an older version of the first one and I love it. It’s durable, cute and keeps my water cold af which I love.
• Get at least 4 hours of sleep a night AT MINIMUM. That one good cycle will get you through class time at least with a normal level of energy and then you can take a short nap in the afternoon to recharge. Always aim for eight if possible, and let yourself sleep in on Saturday/Sunday if you’ve stayed up late during the week.
• Get your face cleansing routine DOWN PAT. Washing your face will make you feel clean even on days you feel you ugh or think you don’t have time for a full shower.
• Don’t wear makeup every day. Let your face breathe at least one day a week.

Grocery Tips

• Check your cabinets/fridge/pantry before going shopping. Nothing is worse than standing at the store and going “I need this for a recipe I want but I can’t remember if I have it??” (aka how I now own two bottles of garlic powder) or “Ohhhh! This is on sale and I know I’ll need this eventually” (or aka why I now have two bottles of maple syrup bought two weeks apart).
• Get reusable shopping bags. These things hold more, they’re sturdier and they’re easier to carry. You’ll cut the trips from your car to your dorm room/apartment in half at least.
• Snacks snacks snacks (preferably healthy but ya know it’s okay to grab the indulgent stuff when it’s on sale)

Class Tips

• Get a big ass folder for all the papers your going to be handed (syllabi, graded papers, handouts, etc.). It doesn’t have to be organized just know it’s your papers folder for classes. It will at least narrow down your options when you think “oh shit where’s that piece of paper I took from the professor’s hand and then forgot about??”
• GO TO OFFICE HOURS FOR PAPER HELP/ADVICE. For Real!! Talking to your professors about your paper helps you understand it more, helps them understand it more, and it usually translates into a higher grade.
• Read the book whenever possible, skim it if you can’t. Even if you have to read/skim after the lecture that day.
• Group projects don’t have to be hell. Take a few minutes of group project meetings to chit-chat and get to know your project mates. If someone isn’t pulling their weight, make a note of it, email your professor and move on as if they’re not a part of the group. These people will let you know early that they’re useless in this instance. Don’t fret over things/people you can’t control.
• An over said tip but a Very Good One – set your schedule as your lock screen for the first week or so. As you settle into your new routine every semester, it makes it easier to remind yourself where you’re supposed to be.
• If you’re new to campus, consider walking your classes at least once before the semester starts. That way you know where the buildings you need to be are, how long it’ll take you to walk between them, and where the classrooms you’re looking for are located.

General Tips

• Walking shoes, walking shoes, WALKING SHOES. Please love your feet on campus. No one is judging the cuteness of your shoes, I promise. Practicality is key for walking on campus during the day. Toms, Chacos, sneakers, etc. are all very common on campus. If you have to dress up for class/presentation, put your good shoes in your bag and switch them out before walking into the building/room.
• Learn to cook at least one comfort food meal. Cooking a meal you’re confident in your ability to make can be calming and a productive distraction when you get overwhelmed with school. Plus it’s nice to make a meal that tastes better than microwave dinners.
• It’s okay to scream, chances are someone else you know wants to scream too. Have a vent session, scream it out, eat some ice cream, watch a movie and get back to work
• Don’t fret over things/people you can’t control. I cannot emphasize this enough. College is stressful enough. Don’t worry about things you can do nothing about. There’s no point to it.