Congrats, freshman. You’ve survived your first month of college. What now?

1. Join a club

I know, I know. This is a very over-said, eyes-rolled-at statement that is said over and over again at every college campus.

But actually, join a club. Fargo can be a cold, sad, dreary place to be in the winter. It can be worse if you don’t have friends near who you to hold close. Joining a club is a really good way to get out and meet people.

2. Is it really worth it?

I know, I know. I’ll catch slack for this.

This is for all of you out there who left your high school significant other to go college several hours away from them, who are now feeling lonely and bored without them.

Do you really want to spend four years of your life like this to be with that person?

Think about it. Four years of your life. If you live to be 80, that’s roughly five percent of your life. Five percent of your life feeling like this.

Is it really worth it?

3. Room Decorations

Halloween is coming up, which means cool decorations and lights will be on shelves soon.

I find that waiting until shortly after Halloween and then shopping at our local Target and Walmart can yield cool results on your room.

Also, zip-ties work well for efficiently tying things to things, but I find it much easier to mount things with 3M Command Hooks, if possible. It is much easier to clean up at the end of the year.

4. Google Voice Reminders

Use them.

Sooner or later you will get to a point where you are swamped with life and forget to do things often.

I find Google voice reminders are an easy way to type a message and remind you at a specific time of something.

Sure, if you’re already one of those folks who meticulously writes and keeps track of life in a planner, you do that. But for the rest of us, I highly recommend voice reminders.

Get the Google app on your Android phone, install it on your home page and then say “O.K. Google, remind me of X at Y time.”

Then whallah, Google will remind you when you could have forgot quite easily.

5. Skip Dessert

I know that the all-you-can-eat desserts in the dining centers are tempting. Trust me, I have been there before as well.

Skip dessert more often than you think you should.

It is a good way to cut out extra calories and prevent the freshman seven. Yes, I say seven because it is statistically more accurate of an average than 15.

Pick only a day or four per week to have desserts on, but not at every meal on those days.

Hell, even guest pass an upperclassman in to eat your desserts for you so they don’t go to waste.