5 things to remember in college

01. you are never as free as you are right now. if its a tuesday night at 11:30pm and your roommates want to drive to the next county to watch a meteor shower, just do it. don't even think about it. post grad schedules don't accomodate for weeknight spontaneity. its liberating, exciting, and totally careless - but awesome. waking up and working daily breeds habit and structure - two of my favorite things - but i will admit, college freedom was bliss. you have no idea how much free time you have right now.

02. the drinks + endless pizza buffet are tempting and awful. indulge, but keep it together. there's a reason the "freshman 15" exists, and if you're not careful, it turns into the "bachelor's degree 40". unless you're one of those miracle freaks with a metabolism of steel, ordering chinese at 2am while you're studying is going to catch up with you. it's not a mythical thing that college students make up. it happened to me. and while i woke up from my carb induced slumber and handled it, some people don't - ever. just enjoy in moderation and try not to go nuts with the food, however tempting it may be. you'll be thankful you did, i promise.

03. go places, go everywhere. now is the perfect time for travel. go abroad. take weekend excursions to other states. visit your parents. visit friends at other colleges. visit that weird monument you see on postcards. visit your own college town, and go down the less traveled path to discover some unique things about your university. even if you live with your parents or went to college near home, TRAVEL!

04. truly invest in your field/major. totally geek out about it with no shame. join the clubs associated with your college, hang out with the people in your classes, get to know your professors.  read blogs about your field. write blogs about your field. and if you're in advertising or comm, subscribe to ad age and follow wieden + kennedy on twitter. keep up. it feels like the world is changing at a quicker pace than ever before, and if you're not on top of what's happening when it comes to your career and your field, you might miss something important.

05. fall in love. no, not with a guy. with yourself, your life, your choices and your home. now is the time to really get to know yourself and what you want. try everything once. don't follow what everyone else is doing. stop making "five year plans" - no really, quit it. fall in love with the moment you're in and what you have, today, and make the best of it. you're not supposed to figure out exactly who you are right now, but you're laying the groundwork.