The transition from high school to college can be difficult and there are many things that prospective students should learn before going to college.

College is even more expensive than I thought, even with financial aid. There are a lot of extra amenities that college students have to pay for aside from tuition.

Tuition only takes up about half of the costs of a semester if you don’t live on campus. That doesn’t include books, which can be extremely expensive too, especially in STEM courses.

Food and laundry are also expensive when coming to college. I think we should tell incoming students to stuff their pockets before they get here because it’s amusement park prices without the coaster rides, unless you’re counting mental stability.

There’s also not many places to park, and students still have to pay  $118 parking facility fee, buy a $50 parking pass and pay $20 for a ticket.

I wish I learned how to study before I started college. In high school, I skated by with the studying the bare minimum, cramming weeks of lessons into a three-hour study session.

While professors are responsible for presenting the information, it’s the student’s responsibility to apply the given information. Studying early will help this.

Coming into college, I had the mindset that changing majors was a sign of being wishy-washy and unfocused. In high school, we told to choose a topic that we have to devote to for the rest of our lives. In college if you stick with your choice, that’s great, but it is also okay to not know or change your mind.

Finding a major that’s enjoyable makes learning the material easier, and the workload less stressful which can improve your grades and your mental health.

I wish I came into college knowing that everything didn’t have to happen so fast. It doesn’t only have to be studying and working.

Take a break, take a breather, take a walk.

It’s easy to stay confined to your room even when you aren’t studying. Our campus and other places around Valdosta are beautiful. Drexel Park is next door. The Whitehead Camellia Trail is right on campus.

Take a second to stop a smell the roses or you might end up wilted.

Written by Angel Davis, staff reporter. Photos courtesy of Angel Davis.