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To all members of the University High School Class of 2008: Congratulations. You've made it.

Welcome to life.

Some who has a yearbook could remind me whose senior quote it was of Mr. Herring saying, "College is freedom with training wheels." I can tell you first hand that he's pretty much right-on with that: the first thing you have to get used to (as long as you aren't living at home) is how much more freedom you have. If you're living in the dorms, and not at some tiny $50k/year private school that micromanages your life anyway, you have absolutely no obligation to be anywhere or do anything at all for anyone except yourself.

So guess what that means: you have to actually take initiative and do stuff.

I'm serious. Make a point of making yourself stick to a daily routine: keep your room clean, buy food (if you are going to ASU, AVOID EATING AT THE HASSAYAMPA DINING HALL AT ANY COST. Pitchforks is ok, and I heard Devil's Diner does meal exchange, but so help you if you're living in Hassayampa), get your homework done, have a normal sleep schedule, and GO TO CLASS. Out of those five I got maybe two or three, but even that many for someone who was as bad as me about doing stuff in high school that's astoundingly good.

But I am serious here. Lots of you shouldn't have much difficulty with this, but I know some of you will. I finished my first two semesters with a 3.35 GPA: 6 As, 2 B+, a B-, a C+, and a C (out of 32 credits). I did maybe 60-75% of the total amount of homework I was assigned, and my average amount of studying was in the same neighborhood as it was in high school---right around 0. The two Cs were because I completely missed the term paper for a history class last fall and did zero studying for that class (that was the C), and because I slept through my (*ahem* 7:40 AM Saturday *ahem*) calculus 2 final in the spring. Both of those could have easily been As, if I'd taken the time to work for them; I could have a 3.8 or better right now (Ms. Etherton even said I was "cutting it a little close" finishing with a 3.35, when I need only a 3.25 to keep my scholarship).

That's the difference between working and not working in college, with nobody but yourself there to get you to do anything. It isn't high school anymore where you can just skate by with the minimum and get a 3.6 (speaking from personal example). It's WAY too easy to stay out drinking and partying every night (not for me though) or staying up playing video games and procrastinating all night (yeah, that's more like it; six essays for two semesters of Human Event, and only one started before midnight of the due date) or that sort of thing, but if you kick yourself early in the semester and get into good habits---going to bed before midnight or 1 at the latest, setting a schedule for your day, planning ahead with your homework---you'll do fine.

One resource I've probably mentioned before is Gradefix. Spend the $5 a month and get the premium version, which lets you track an unlimited number of assignments and such; plan ahead with set time slots each day for homework, and enter into Gradefix how much time you'll spend on it each day; and plan as far ahead as you can or want. Have it send you daily reminders, and print out and stick to your homework schedule for every week. I tried and for the most part failed miserably, but when I was able to stick with it I found that I was much better able to stay on top of things and get everything done (accounting for most of the homework and studying that I actually did).

And, again seriously, go to class. There are some people who never go to class except on the first day and thereafter on test days, but teachers hate the people who do that and they always do really poorly anyway. It helps if you don't schedule really early morning classes or at other awkward times, lots of classes in a row in one day, really long classes, or classes during what normally would be mealtimes (oh yeah, make sure to eat right and keep to a regular eating schedule---and eat breakfast!). Also, always use RateMyProfessor or something of the like to help you with scheduling, and see your advisors or professors if you have any questions at all about a class or your major or anything. They're there to actually help you, and if you have to bitch at them constantly about it then find a new professor or advisor who actually understands that they're there to help you.

I have no idea where I'm going with this anymore, it seems to have just turned into rambling and general advice for surviving college. Lots of these things are things I should have done, and would have done much better in college if I had followed them. Also read 10 Things I Wish I'd Known When I Started College and do those too. And second most importantly to doing what you have to to get everything done for school, HAVE FUN. Being an independent adult is lots of responsibilities and boring crap like that, but it's also your turn to decide what being a grown-up means. Meet friends, let loose every once in a while, and get used to freedom. After four years as a Penguin, you've all damn well earned it.

And seriously, if anyone actually fills their dorm or apartment with playpen balls, FRICKING CALL ME. I'll buy you food. (You'll come to appreciate how important food is and getting it from wherever you can.)