Going from a small community of peers to a different world with different backgrounds and ages can become somewhat of a culture shock for you!  But this all comes with venturing off into the world of higher education.

Many of you probably are excited to venture into this world, where you will experience more freedom and responsibilities.  Many of you probably cannot wait to dive into the wonders of this higher education.  With this brand new responsibility comes many trails and errors.  And I'm going to tell you what to expect and how to handle them when they arise.

Don't get me wrong! Drinking can be fun! But getting drunk and having to pay for it is not!

If you are going to drink, be smart about it!

1. Don't try and beat the system by investing about $100 bucks on a fake ID! Many states have harsh penalties if you get caught. Take my roommate, for example. She got so excited that she would be able to get into a bar before her 21st birthday. Well, about a month after spending $100 on this fake, she ended up getting caught and having to pay bigger bucks, plus having false identification put on her record. Do you really want to get refused a job for lying about your age back in college? I did not think so. That also means don't borrow someone else's ID.
2. Don't be belligerent in freshman dorms or on the streets. This just screams: "Hey! Cite me! I'm underage!" Many universities will throw you of after a number of citations, usually 3 or 4.
3. Go to class! I cannot stress that enough. My mom once told me that many kids do not know how important it is to go to class. She brought up a good point in that if you are not doing really well in a class, but you have been attending every single class (which shows you are putting in the effort to do well!), you're professor will see this effort and think you deserve a higher grade, maybe even an "A."
4. Time management! This goes along with going to class. Budget your time accordingly so that you have enough time to study, do your work and go to class, as well as going out! If you do not you may end up sleeping in from a long night and then ending up falling behind in class.

These are simple so anyone can follow them. College can be fun but not at the expense of you education and your future! After you graduate, it's the real world. If you mess that up in college, it's going to be hard to establish a future when partying is the biggest priority of your life.

Now, going along with that. Your future is the rest of life! When you are little, you're asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" You're asked this question for a reason, because everyone has a future whether it's a career or job. College, not only, gives you the education you need for your future career, but it can give you the experience and opportunities you need to land that first entry-level job that will fast-forward your career. Take those opportunities whether it's a internship/co-op, a job, or clubs/organizations. They will really pay off in the job hunts!