(Before I start, I just want to say that if you're not American, some of these things may not apply to you, but some of them might, so I do suggest reading it!)

 I started my second semester of college earlier this month, and I just started thinking that some people are totally not prepared for college.  I'm aware that some people here on Wattpad are already in college, but if you're not (and you plan on going), here are some tips.

(Also, I do not live on campus, so I will only be giving a few tips on that.)

I'll be dividing everything into categories, so let's begin!

Before You Graduate High School:

APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS: Unless your parents are super rich, or they work at the school you plan on attending, you'll need help paying for college.  So many organizations and businesses have scholarships, and the schools normally have some, too.  You can just google some, and you'll definitely find something!

FILL OUT THE FAFSA: I don't know if this applies to non-Americans, so if the FAFSA doesn't sound familiar to you (and you don't live in America), feel free to skip this.  For all you Americans: it is so important that you fill this out.  Even if you don't think you'll get any money, fill it out anyway!  You never know.  And once you get the financial aid and have started college, CONTINUE FILLING IT OUT. So many people don't realize you have to fill it out every year, and they end up with no financial aid!

SEND OUT GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS: This may not sound like much, but trust me, it's important.  When you send these out, people learn you're graduating, and they'll send you money for college.  If they're not super close to you (a distant relative, or a family friend), they might send $20 or so, but if they're a really close family member, you can get a lot of money!  I was able to use all the money I got from my family, family friends, and people from church to spend on textbooks!

IT'S OKAY IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE MAJORING IN: While some people know exactly what they want to do, some people don't, and that's okay.  When filling out applications for college and scholarships, just put Undeclared.  Once you actually get to college, you can take classes that sound interesting, and you might find something you want to do as a job.

COLLEGE ISN'T FOR EVERYONE: So many high schoolers feel like they have to go to college, but you totally don't!  If what you want to do doesn't require a degree, then there's no need to spend money on college!  If you want to join the military, that's also an option.  Do whatever feels right.

Actual College Stuff:

RENT YOUR TEXTBOOKS: Once you get to college, you have to buy your textbooks.  It's much cheaper to rent them.  If your school bookstore doesn't let you rent, then buy used!  It's always cheaper than buying books new.  Never buy new unless you absolutely have to.

MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR ROOMMATE: Like I said, I don't live on campus, but this is definitely important.  You're going to be living with this person for a while, so you might as well like each other!  Some dorms have two rooms connected by a bathroom, so talk to your suitemates, too!  I'm sure they're cool people!

DON'T EAT OUT ALL THE TIME: This is also for people who live on campus.  If you eat out all the time, you won't have any money left over for important things, like toilet paper or shampoo.  Eat in the cafeteria every once in a while, or cook your own stuff.  It's much cheaper, and you'll have money to buy other things.

BUY AN UMBRELLA: This may seem random, but trust me, you'll need it.  Throughout the day, you'll be walking from building to building, so you'll be outside for a couple of minutes at a time.  While a jacket hood works, you're still getting wet.  Having an umbrella keeps you dry, and if you have a big one, you can share it with other people!

GET INVOLVED: Especially with big schools, there are normally a lot of clubs!  There's usually at least one club related to your major, and there's a bunch more that just seem interesting!  Try to join!  There's usually activities going on all over campus (this weekend, the Student Activities Board at my school is showing a movie with free popcorn and drinks), so keep an eye out for them, and make some new friends!

DON'T SCHEDULE ALL YOUR CLASSES ON THE SAME DAY: When you get to college, you have the opportunity to schedule a class for Mon/Wed/Fri, or Tues/Thurs.  Don't schedule all of your classes on the same days.  It may seem like a good idea to get a few days off during the week, but then you'll be rushing to get everything done (some assignments will have the same deadline).  My friend also pointed out that if you do this, you'll have all your finals on the same days, and nobody wants that.

EXPLORE THE CITY: If you're going to school in a different city/state than the one you lived in, you'll want to learn your way around the city.  Find out what restaurants they have, what they have for fun, and anything else you might need to know!  If you're going to be living there for 4 years (or more), you'll need to know where you're going!

MAJOR IN SOMETHING YOU LIKE: Don't major in something just because it'll get you a job with a lot of money!  When people choose majors based on this, they end up hating their jobs!  Major in something you find interesting, even if the job related to it doesn't make a lot of money.  You'll love your job if it's something you enjoy, rather than something you hate that makes bunches of money.

TALK TO YOUR ADVISOR: Your advisor's job is to help you figure out the school, and to help you figure out what classes to take and what to major in.  Schedule an appointment with them from time to time.  Don't feel like you're a burden; it's their job to help you!  It's what they get paid to do!

GO TO THE LIBRARY: So many people don't go to the library until finals week.  Last semester, I went to the library at least 3 times a week.  It's a great place to study, especially if people in your dorm are being loud.  It's quiet, and everyone around you is probably doing the same thing.  If you don't have your own laptop or computer, the library is usually where you can find computers and printers, so be sure to make use of the library!

DON'T SCHEDULE YOUR CLASSES RIGHT AFTER EACH OTHER: If you have a class that ends at 10:40, don't schedule your next class at 10:50.  You'll be rushing to your next class, and you might not remember something from your last class.  Make sure you have time between classes, or else you'll be rushing to all of your classes, and while that may be a great workout, it won't help you achieve anything else.

YOU'RE ALLOWED TO CHANGE MAJORS: If you've taken a couple of classes relating to your major and you realize you don't really like it, you're allowed to change majors!  Your major isn't set in stone.  Talk to your advisor about changing your major to something you'll enjoy.

GO WHERE YOU  WANT TO GO: Sometimes, parents will pressure their kids to go to the same school they went to, and other times, people go to a school just because their friends are going there.  If you don't want to go where your parents went, you don't have to!  Check into it, and if it's not for you, find somewhere else. (Ex: If you want to major in chemistry, and the school your parents went to has a horrible chemistry program - or none at all - don't feel like you have to go!  Find a school with a good chemistry program!) Going to school with your friends may sound like fun, but it's the same things as with your parents.  The school your friends are going to may not be the right one for you.

TALK TO YOUR PROFESSORS: If you don't understand something in class, ask your professor about it!  They want to see you succeed, and it's usually a requirement for them to have office hours.  Schedule an appointment, and they'll be more than happy to help you out!

RESEARCH YOUR PROFESSORS: There's this great website I used to find out about my professors (I'll leave the link in the comments).  Students leave reviews based on their experience with a professor, and you can find out if they're any good or not.  It helped me with picking out my classes for this semester, because I made sure that my professors were good!

That's all I can think of right now, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask me!  I may not be able to answer everything, but I'll try to answer what I can! (I can't answer questions about specific schools, so I'm sorry about that.  I also can't answer questions about living on campus very well, either, but I can try my best!)