Be ready for whatever you face at college

There’s one week left before I leave for college, and so far I’ve been preparing by attempting to find the mates of lone socks, inhaling all the red chile I can and reading Harlan Cohen’s advice book The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College.

Cohen’s book, which dives into topics ranging from handling stingy professors and navigating college relationships to “Sex: having it, not having it, hearing other people having it,” was published back in 2005 but is still largely relevant. And, despite the fact the book is more than 500 pages, Cohen’s way of sharing advice through a series of firsthand stories gathered from more than 300 campuses makes it a light and easily digestible read.

For example, I used to spend most of my time daydreaming about when I would be free from my mom’s nagging and miles away from my dad’s poorly delivered jokes. Yet, as it gets closer to my departure date, I already miss my parents, even though I can see them right in front of me. Which is why Cohen’s line — “The cure to homesickness is not at home. It’s to make your new home more comfortable” — resonates with me. Being away from the convenience of always having someone to talk to or a comfortable environment filled with unconditional love may be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Cohen says that we can actively try to create a second home by putting ourselves out there and finding new people to love. Cohen warns that when we spend time missing those back home, we waste time missing the opportunities right in front of us, which brings me to another tip.

The book’s emphasis on putting oneself out there on campus and a “say hi to someone before they say hi to you” mindset is drilled into my to-do list. Noting that college is filled with an overwhelming number of opportunities that we can’t fully take advantage of, his advice to join as many clubs as possible, feel them out and then drop the ones that don’t “stick” is something I’ll pursue in the coming months.

Still, here are three things I wish I would have known three months ago that Cohen didn’t mention:

Let go of toxic relationships, memories and everything in between. It took me a hot minute to realize that college can be a clean slate. If you didn’t like the way someone acted in high school or who you were that awkward sophomore semester, you don’t have to let it haunt you. My second month free from Demon Country was spent muting and unfollowing people on Instagram, as well as reflecting on how I wanted to change for the better this fall.

No one ever tells you the important things to pack, but I will: space-saving hangers, microwavable Tupperware containers, dry shampoo, odor-neutralizer and earplugs.

Your future classmates are incredible, which is great. My soon-to-be roommate is on Romania’s national dance team, and another future classmate just posted on the Facebook group that they helped discover a new species. Seeing my peers’ accomplishments strengthened feelings of imposter syndrome — the feeling of intellectual fraudulence and inadequacy when presented with success — because deep down I initially felt I didn’t deserve to have a spot among them. But in instances like this, remember that no two people are given the same circumstances and opportunities in life, and time spent not feeling good enough can be time put toward discovering passions. Life is short, but if you’re comparing yourself to others or doing things you hate, life is long.