So I'm heading out to college in the next couple of weeks, and right now I'm kind of feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness. I've talked to a lot of really nice people, so I'm not really worried about struggling to make friends. But I am worried about doing stupid things that all freshman do. 

Do any of you guys have any advice on how to spend/how NOT to spend your first year in college? 

NVTaks :

learn C++ coding.

help me make PC game.

Hope to make some dough.

Sounds good no?

Have you had your college orientation yet? That will give you an idea on how your college is set, how the campus is, and so much more. Use that to your advantage to get an idea on how your college is. People are very nice in college as well so keep meeting more people. People come and go so if there's anyone that you don't like, move on to the next person. College creates that environment where you have the freedom to whatever to an extent (as long as you don't break any of the policies or rules in college).

I was a freshman in college last year so I will try my best to help you based from my experience:

-Learn and experience independence at your own rate: remember that nobody will be there to boss you around. Be sure you get a hold of your college academic calendar to keep track of deadlines and important dates. Same goes with paying your tuition on time (and if you have financial aid, watch that too).

-Explore as much as you can: college is a way different environment where it can open your mind. There are people who live nearby, dorm, or come from another country. Even the professors are different (I've had professors who are teaching while going for their master's degree at the same time, an English professor who is working to be a lawyer, and so much more.) Also your college offers lots of programs, opportunities, clubs, and so much more. Go explore around the campus to get familiar with it.

-Try to not only go to college for school: While you are paying money for your education, college can be like your 2nd home. You can participate in club activities, volunteer, work, hang out in fun rooms such as game rooms, sport centers, and etc. With college offering many things besides education, why not try to get used to college inside out?

-Indecisive in major: It's okay to be indecisive in your major or haven't picked one yet. People are still trying to figure out what they want to do as a long term career in the future. I've met people who are in a certain major and then end up switching. It will take some time to figure out what to major in. This is why you have the first 2 years of college just in case in general.

-Keep those grades up: This is the most important part of college and why you are paying for college. You are in college to get your education and your money's worth. Remember to keep that GPA good or else if it gets too low, you will end up getting kicked out of college.

-Have fun: Outside of your education, you must have fun as well. With everything that college has to offer, why not use it as a opportunity to have fun during your free time? There are clubs and activities that you can do. Meet lots of different kinds of people!

Do not party too much and drink too much! Also, college is not a place to have unnecessary problems and stress! If there are people who are way too dependent on you, avoid them and focus on yourself. You picked your college for many reasons after all.

Hopefully this advice helped you out!

ghostfishy : Wow! That was incredibly incisive . I actually haven't gone through orientation because my college's orientation leads directly into the school year, so I won't actually be heading up until the 26th. 

Thank you kindly for the advice! I don't really plan on partying THAT much (maybe just a little).

Anytime man! Anything to help you out the best way that I can.

When you have a party, be sure to invite me too.

You're going in without knowing anyone and no reputation to anyone, unless there's people who already know you, so the least of your worries is cocking up. Just get on with things as you normally would, let the friends come to you (or you go out and make them, whichever works), and don't worry about anything :3

In my opinion, it all depends on what college you are going to. Are you going to a community college or a really big or well known college? And there are colleges out there that some people like to call "party colleges." Are you going to one of those? It could also depend on what kind of students go there to influence you to do what THEY like to do.

But in my case, I just went to a small community college. I made a couple new friends but not very many. I just sort of kept to myself most of the time and focused on my work, and I did just fine. And if you do that, you'll probably be just fine too. College is really not that much different in high school, except for the work is a little harder (of course) and you don't have any immature students to pull your attention away from class.

If you focus on your work like you did in high school, I promise you'll be just fine. Good luck to you!