my #1 piece of college advice for you youngsters would be to always keep a phone charger, snacks, and an umbrella in your backpack at all times
Also for the love of God don’t skip class.
Buy a reusable water bottle / container. Especially if you walk around a lot.
Buy a watch because you can’t always look at your phone believe it or not.
Bonus if it has alarms (preferably quieter ones) so you can keep track of your time.
ALWAYS. KEEP. YOUR CHANGE. Especially silver coins! Adds up fast.
Talk to the people sitting next to you in class. Exchange phone numbers or something. Keep friendly. If you ever miss class, let them know and ask if they can share their notes. Always have at least 2 people in case 1 isn’t there.
Make sure you have at least one pair of sturdy walking shoes. Believe me, walking to class sucks sooooo much more with blisters and sore feet
MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR PROFESSORS. Seriously, they can help you get where you want to go in life by giving you good references and making your life easier.
Use every resource you have available. First week of classes: learn the library, find computer labs (especially the ones that aren’t on the first floor of any given building- the easiest to find labs are always the busiest and noisiest), familiarize yourself with tutoring/ help centers, learn where campus security is located and how to contact them, and if you don’t know your adviser, schedule an appointment to meet them within the first two weeks of the semester. Knowing all of this information/ people takes off so much stress and limits unpleasant surprises when you need them the least.
These are AMAZING tips. Try them. Seriously.