Things you need and need to do in college...

1. Take pictures.

2. Bring lots of quarters - more than you think you'll need - ever.

3. Take a nap on Sunday afternoons in the Winter.

4. Volunteer outside of the academic sphere on a regular basis - soup kitchens and homeless shelters. 5. After visiting friend's houses, always send thank you cards. 

6. Never take a course because it looks easy. It won't be.

7. Most colleges and universities have a free counseling center. This is the only time in your life when counseling will be free. Take advantage of this.

8. Remember to deal with major problems before taking on any kind of serious relationship.

9. After receiving a recommendation from a professor, send a thank you note.

10. Keep a journal. Things happen fast.

11. Make sure your professors know your name. The earlier the better.

12. Cigarettes are not a good way to handle stress. In fact, some people actually find functional lungs extremely relaxing.

13. Vote. That's what absentee ballots are for.

14. If you're drinking alcohol, drink at least as much water. This will re-hydrate your body and prevent a hangover the next day.

15. Go to a local diner with friends at 1am and order breakfast.

16. If you find yourself single on Valentine's Day, go out to dinner with other single friends and talk about how great it is to be single. If necessary, lie.

17. Get involved in small study groups -- especially for hard classes.

18. Learn how to give a great back-rub. Find someone who has already learned how to do so. Visit this person often.

19. Memorize the phone numbers of the people who live above you and next to you. When they're making noise at 3am, you won't be in the mood to look them up.

21. Learn how to take a compliment. Smile and say thank you.

22. Figure out how your body responds to caffeine and use it accordingly. Just because your roommate can drink 5 consecutive cups of espresso doesn't mean you can too.

23. Don't date someone who doesn't want your friends to know about the relationship.

24. Learn how much sleep you need to function properly. Some people need 10. . . others need 4.

25. Memorize the number to call for campus emergencies. 

26. Memorize the number for Domino's Pizza. Realize that, at times, this may be the same number as the one for campus emergencies. 

27. Overcome the temptation to complain about how much work you have to do. Chances are, if you have two exams, a paper, and an oral presentation to give on the same day, the person you're complaining to will have three exams, five lab reports, and a meeting with the Dean.

28. Always be nice to the housekeeping, maintenance, and food staff. They have to deal with more crap than you do.

29. On the first meeting with parents of friends and dates, AVOID all subjects of possible contention, including politics, money, and religion. Especially religion.

31. Plan ahead and make lists. Even if you lose them, you are still more likely to remember something if you wrote it down at one point.

32. Be persistent. Eight times is not too much to try for something you really want.

33. Find friends who are different from you, even radically so. Learn from them.

34. Don't go on vacation or even a weekend trip without washing your dishes.

35. Dance. Preferably in a large group to old music to the point of exhaustion. Opportunities to do this outside of college are rare, and more expensive.

36. Road trip. Doesn't matter where, when, or why. Find some friends, some music, a destination, and a functional car.

37. Use foul-weather gear: umbrellas, hats, scarves, gloves. In high school, you thought, "That looks stupid," and it was uncool. In college, you think, "Man, I'm cold," and it is smart.

38. Do one thing at a time.

39. Know that, if you're in over your head, you are swimming in good company.

40. Know who you can call at 3 o'clock in the morning.

41. Avoid phrases like, "There are other fish in the sea." when comforting others about break-ups. When in need of comfort, avoid people who use such phrases.

42. Always carry 5 pens. One to use, 3 to lose, and one to lend to the interesting person next to you.

43. Double check your alarm at night. AM means morning. PM will not help you get to class.

44. Every once in a while, reevaluate your rules. Know why you do and do not do things.

45. Keep other people's secrets.

46. Share secrets of your own. Let your friends know who you really are.

47. When life gets you down, dress up. Or dress up just for the hell of it. Surprise people. When they ask, "Why do you look so pretty today?" answer, "I was born that way."

48. Recognize your limitations. Ask for help.

49. Recognize your strengths. Offer help.

50. Learn to say, "No."

51. Own a hat or a nice barrette. Some days are just not good hair days.

52. Write your name on things you really want to keep. It will at least give you a fighting chance.

53. Wash stains right away. If you wear white, buy bleach.

54. Smile. It rarely hurts anything.

55. Bring or buy Advil, Aspirin, or Tylenol. Sometimes life hurts.