As the school year comes to a close, high school seniors will be graduating and moving on to the next step in their life. Which for many of them means pursuing a higher education in college. As a future college student myself I decided to interview my older brother Seth and my older sister Emma, who are both currently in college, to see what thoughts and tips they have for incoming college freshman students.

Many high school seniors believe they have a relatively good idea of what college is like. However, many of these could be misconceptions that will quickly dissipate by the time college starts. I asked Emma and Seth what kind of misconceptions they had about college before starting.

Emma: “I came in with the misconception that college would be similar to high school, it was a bit of a shock to my system realizing that you are kind of on your own. You have to go to the professor if you need help, if you have a roommate conflict you have to talk it out and handle it like an adult, if you want to make friends you have to take the initiative. No one holds your hand in college, you make the decisions that affect your life.”

Seth: “I had the misconception that classes would be really hard but, if you have a good work ethic and know how to study and manage your time classes are really easily manageable.

I also had the misconception that there would be a popular group of people. But there are actually just different groups of people that hangout based on their interest or Major they have.”

Obviously college is a very different school experience than high school but I decided to ask Emma and Seth what makes it better and what makes it worse.

Emma: “Having more freedom, to make your own decisions, but also to find who you are and be one hundred percent yourself is one of the best parts. No one is there to tell you what to do, or wear, or think, or believe and you make your own schedule on when to sleep, eat, hangout with friends, and everything. However, learning to become an adult is difficult and it can be scary being on your own for the first time in your life. It is also a lot more work than high school was, which was a difficult transition.”

Seth: “You are on your own and can make your own decisions in college and there are a lot more people so you can make more friends and always have someone to hangout with. There is so much free time and you make your own schedule, plus they have almost every type of club you can imagine! However, no one is there to tell you that you may be making a mistake and you have a lot of decisions to make on your own. No one really cares if you flunk out or do your homework either.”

Finally I asked Emma and Seth if they had any tips to help graduating high school students get through their first year of college.

Emma: “School-wise: Read the syllabus and find study groups, studying with others in the same class can be super beneficial especially if you are having trouble with it. Don’t be afraid to go to the professors office hours or reach out to free tutors in the library, they are there to help.

Friend-wise: Go to events, that’s how you meet people and make friends, especially during the first week. Also hangout in common spaces or leave your room door open, it’s more welcoming and makes people feel more comfortable reaching out and talking to you. Also please be respectful of your RA, they are just doing their job to create a safe and fun living environment for everyone.”

Seth: “Be friendly to all people you meet and you don’t have to be friends with everyone just make sure to respect everyone. Put yourself out there and talk to others to make friends. A pack of gum is 35cents so you could offer someone a piece of gum to start a conversation. Don’t be fake just be yourself. Make a friend -- in every class you have someone that you can possibly study with and ask questions if you need help. This person will make you look forward to going to class and it’s someone to sit next to. Introduce yourself to your professor so if you email them a question they most likely will remember your name and be more inclined to answer your question faster and help you more. Do all extra credit no matter the work, trust me it is worth it. Don’t just sit in your room all day, go out, get involved, and make friends. If you don’t you are wasting your 4 years of college. You're gonna have rough/stressful days so when that happens hangout or go talk with your friends or supporters or RA they can help ya. Go to the tutors, most are free and they are great to help you get your homework done. Get your resume made as soon as possible. You can go and ask a friend and they can help get you started or you can go to the learning center 3rd floor they will help you make one just call and make an appointment. Save and be careful with your money. You can run out fast if you don’t have a job.”

These tips can help any student heading to college be prepared to make the most of their first year.