Recently I was asked to come up with five things that I’ve learned in college that will stick with me as I wander out into the world. I feel like it’s still a little early for senior sentiments- especially for those of us doing a victory lap next year- but hey, I’ll give it a shot. So, since my four years here at good old ACU has left me with a wealth of knowledge and insight, I’ll share.

First, don’t use all of your sick days right out of the gate. I’m STILL learning this-the hard way. I have a terminal case of the Mondays, senioritis since my freshman year of high school and, if you ask any professor that has had me in a class before noon, they can attest that I am in no way a morning person. Waking up is hard. Waking up for class is even harder.

So naturally, on that first day of class when syllabi are being thrown at you left and right, I flip that bad boy straight to the attendance policy to find out how many times I can get away with shutting off that screeching alarm and spending some quality face time with my pillow. That’s all well and good, until I’m five weeks into the semester and have no more “get out of class free” cards to play. Use them wisely, folks.

Second, ALWAYS check the mirror. I cannot tell you how many times the phrase “#artmajorprobs” has popped into my head at any given point during the day because I have a giant black smudge across my forehead that no one thought to warn me about. (And yes, my inner monologue often involves hashtags. Twitter has ruined me.) This rule applies to everyone, not just us artsy folk. You may not have charcoal permanently imprinted into your skin, but nobody wants to walk into a job interview with broccoli in their teeth or into a first date with an Alfalfa hair popping up out of the back of your head. Be safe. Double check.

Third, don’t leave it until the very last minute. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am a procrastination sensation, and I firmly believe that my best work is done under pressure. Maybe that goes with the territory of growing up in a family of writers in journalists, or maybe that’s just me trying to justify being lazy. Who knows? What it took me four years to learn is that when I finish something before the deadline- and I mean WELL before the deadline- well that’s the best feeling in the world. (Okay, second best. Turning off the alarm and going back to bed takes the gold.) It’s like Nike, friends. Just do it.

Fourth, allow for a little spontaneity. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned, it’s that almost nothing ever goes according to plan. I am THE classic case for that. I walked in to Welcome Week as a pre-med major on my way to being a pediatric intensive. I walked out of Welcome Week as an undecided major with absolutely no direction, and stayed that way for a solid year and a half. (Also, a little sub-tip for you. It’s okay to tell your peers that you have no idea what you want to do with your life. If an adult asks you, if you don’t have an answer, make one up. They tend to think that “I don’t know” isn’t an acceptable life goal.) The truth is, sometimes the best plan is to scrap your plan. The best memories can be made out of total accidents.

And last, but certainly not least, don’t be in such a hurry to grow up. The world can be a cold, dark, scary place, and we have been given an incredible opportunity to avoid that gloom and doom just a little bit longer. We are in the prime of our lives. We have more freedom and less responsibility than we ever have before, or ever will again once we graduate. So embrace it. Be a kid. Skip through campus. Stay up late. Do something crazy. You might not get that chance again.