As I reminisce about my time as a Cougar, I realize I learned a lot of useful life lessons that are important for college students to know, especially incoming freshmen and transfer students. College is a time to learn not only about a future career, but about yourself.

When freshmen and transfer students acknowledge that they are in college, they can be anxious, especially since college courses are more difficult than high school classes.

Asking your professor any question you have is key to understanding the subject. You can do this by emailing your teacher as much as you can. During my college career, I made sure the teacher knew who I was by emailing them the questions I had.

Personally, I am a visual person, so when a teacher would email me the answer I needed, I had the answer down on paper so I could refer back to the email whenever I needed a refresher on the topic.

Another important factor in succeeding in college classes is reading your textbooks. When I first started college, I did not read my textbooks. I will be honest; I struggled because I wanted to have fun and enjoy my first year of college. When I realized I needed to buckle down, I began reading my textbooks for my classes and my test scores increased each year. Having fun in college is not all about parties and going out. You can have fun by succeeding in your courses and knowing that you are on the right path for the future.

Freshmen and transfer students should not stress if they are not able to graduate in four years. Hardly anyone graduates in four years anymore. Students should realize they are working for a degree that will help them succeed in their future. There is no rush to graduate.

I was disappointed when I found out I was not graduating in the expected amount of four years, but then I realized I will have a bright future with the degree that I earned in the amount of time that it takes. No matter the amount of time, money and work it takes to get a degree, the pride in earning a degree will be priceless.

Acquiring a degree is one of the main reasons many college students attend college. Another reason is to make lifetime friends and memories. My last piece of advice is to get involved. Getting involved will help many students acquire those lifetime friends and memories. If you are contemplating rushing for Greek life or trying out for a sports team, just do it. You will one day look back and regret not taking a chance on something.

Students must think to themselves, what if I end up loving it? If you get nervous and end up not enjoying the involvement, at least you tried. All we can do in life is try. It took me three years to get involved with the school and I am more than happy to be involved with The Cougar Chronicle. I have made new friends and worked hard to improve myself with the paper. I know I will have these memories working with the school paper for a lifetime.