As the school year winds down, seniors have decided where they are going to go for college. With these decisions comes a load of stress, which is not uncommon, if not normal.

Seniors, soon to be college students, are stepping into the next phase of their life and it’s scary. Seniors who are leaving for college are excited that they will be on their own and not have to listen to their parents nagging them all the time, but they are also nervous. They are leaving home and going into the unknown.

Sure they can pick up the phone to call their family and friends, but they will miss home. Most people will feel homesick, it’s a fact. Some ways to combat this is by calling family and friends, skyping or asking for care packages from loved ones.

Here are some more tips for surviving your first year of college.

1. Most seniors are likely not to know anybody at their new campus, so they will need to make new friends and also learn how to deal with unpleasant people. They may get stuck with a jerk of a roommate and not be able to switch. Try to step out of your comfort zone, be open to new experiences and be friendly to overcome these problems.

2. Seniors must also realize that they can’t take everything with them. Myself personally, I can’t just take a car with all the stuff from my room because I have to go on a plane and I’ll have a limited amount of space for clothes and a few necessities because I’m going to University of Hawaii at Manoa. To help with this problem I will only be taking a few things that will remind me of home.

3. Seniors are also going to be on a budget next year. They shouldn’t ask their parents to help them out if they’re broke, assuming they don’t have a job. Seniors who currently have jobs are more prepared because they probably already have some savings and know how to budget their money. Everyone going into college needs to know that they will have to live with a little less spending money than they are used to. Kahn Academy has some helpful lessons that will help teach seniors how to deal with their money. Look for practical money skills.

4. One final challenge is the price of going off to college. If seniors do not have a lot of scholarships and grants, then they will need to find a way to raise enough money to afford college tuition. Consider getting a job on or off campus or getting a student loan.

A. A loan can really help if students are in a pinch or if you going to a different state with higher tuition for college. Yet you should known that the debt of the loan can follow you for decades after you graduate from college.

B. Another option is the off-campus job. Bosses of these jobs will have no consideration if you have a lot of homework or if you need sleep. As long as you’re on time to work and do your job, you’re fine. However, these jobs give students some money they can use to pay off debts or use for living expenses.

C. The on campus job, is the last of these and in my personal opinion the best out of the three. These jobs take into consideration exams and activities that college students have and they are usually pretty flexible. However, if you can, postpone getting one until after freshman year so you can get acquainted with the feel and workload of college.

Despite the negatives, college is a fun place where seniors will discover who they really are. The positives include: making new friends, living on their own, being financially independent from their parents and receiving an education that will help them get a good job in the long run.