With great freedom comes great responsibility

College is a time of freedom in many ways - a time of staying up late, meeting new friends from different backgrounds, possibly acquiring new vices, and exploring new ideas. You've got to make the transition from having other people hold you accountable for your actions to holding yourself accountable for them. Remember who you are: one bought by the blood of Christ so that sin might not reign in your body but that you might present it as an acceptable offering to God.

I didn't struggle so much in college with new and gross sins, but I did find myself freshman year becoming irresponsible in my use of time. I became fascinated by the new theological ideas that I was encountering in college and ended up studying them more than I did the material from my actual courses. I thought this was bringing me closer to God, but it was really just making me intellectually arrogant, since I thought that I had a better understanding of God than my peers. Ultimately, I ended up suffering both academically and personally for my irresponsibility.
Evan Donovan

Army alternatives

If you're not into the military, but you're looking for a way to serve your country and earn some money for college, then consider checking out AmeriCorps. There are hundreds of different non-profits that our supported by AmeriCorps of which you can be a member, from Habitat for Humanity to Outward Bound. You become a civil servant, volunteering your time, while receiving a living stipend and earning about $5000 for college tuition. I helped run an elementary after school program in Atlanta and enjoyed every minute of it. The experience was rewarding and the opportunity to serve was very meaningful.
Ariah Fine

Finish in three

One of the best financial and college decisions I ever made was to graduate in three years. Instead of graduating early though, I took off my junior year to work and save up money for my final semester. This allowed me to spend my senior year with all my friends and graduate along side them. This saved me a whole years worth of tuition and allowed me to work on paying off some of my student loans before I was even done. Taking some electives and pre-requisites at a local community college during the summers made finishing in three years very doable.
Ariah Fine

Prevent roommate problems

I don't know what's worse: choosing your roommates or the luck of the draw. At least for girls, rooming with one of your high school friends hardly ever works out. Being friends and living with each other are two totally different things. I went with the draw. Our res life office tried to match roommates up by interests—at least that's what they said they were going to do. I'm not sure they actually did it, since I didn't think I had anything in common with my two freshmen roommates. Something must have been right, though—one of them is my best friend to this day! The best idea is a roommate contract. Sometimes your RA will give you one that you have to fill out and give back to them so they can have it on file if you have any problems. If they don't give you one, DO ONE ANYWAY! Figure out stuff like chores, whether or not you'll share food, and any other things you think might be an issue. Then either post it or keep it in a safe place, and when there's a conflict, you can go back and look what you agreed to. Seriously, it's worth it!Rachel Snyder

Remember that you're not the only lonely soul ...

That first week of college can be really daunting, and extremely overwhelming. With all the new names, faces, and "fun" activities you are bombarded with, the flood of homesickness and fatigue can take over. But the most important thing to remember is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! There are at least 300 other freshmen/new students who are going through the exact same thing as you, only some probably hide it better. My first week at Covenant College, I was a mess! Before my parents left, they had helped me set up my room, and my dad realized that I didn't have any soap. So, he sweetly went down to the store and brought me back some. For the next 2 weeks, every time I used that soap, I broke down in tears. But eventually, the tears turned into just a lump in my thought, and that turned into sadness, and before I knew it, I was too busy making new friends to even notice the soap! Another thing I would suggest is that you, no matter how shy you think you are, should make it your goal to reach out to another new student. During that same week at Covenant, I lived across the hall from a very nice girl. We both were having a really hard time adjusting to our new lives, but neither one of us was brave enough to meet the other. We watched each other as we would go to our rooms, close the door, and unbeknownst to the other, sit down on our beds and cry. We later became very close friends, (she was my maid-of-honor in my wedding!) and realized how much we could have comforted each other during that time...but we were too shy to say hello. So, get out there, put yourself on the line. Don't worry about what people think of you because everyone is just trying to figure this whole college thing out together!
Alicia Skrivan