So some of the resident BZPower members may be graduating high school, or already did like two days ago. Welcome to college. Here is some idiotic advice from some random person on the internet. Every person and college is different, so take the following diatribe with some salt. But this is an attempt to clarify the facts about college so you know what you're getting into.

1. College is ######.

Don't listen to the random college student who tells you that college is a party. It isn't. If you thought the amount of homework you had in high school was bad, wait until you get to college. If you didn't have any homework in high school because your teachers were super easy, college will whip your ######.

It is tougher than high school.

It's supposed to be that you're supposed be studying the stuff that you want to study instead of the karz that high school force-fed you. But having to decide what you want to study is also ######. Or you may decide that you want to study that thing and your parents controlling the purse will tell you no, because they have their own agenda, although I understand that most people don't have this problem. Or you may want to study it, but there are no jobs in the field. Or the major you want is impacted and too many other people want to study it, so you're sunk. Deciding what you want to do with your life and actually making it happen is ######. It will take a lot more years to make it happen than you think right now. No presto changeo. Not in this world.

2. Most students flunk out of their first semester of college. They don't tell you this up front, because they hope you're the exception. Unless you're a genius, it probably will happen to you, and you will end up on academic probation. Another thing they don't tell you about - if you flunk out of one semester, probation. Two semesters, they will kick you out of university.

Even a college president I knew of told a story of how she flunked out of first semester.

My advice: Do not take five classes first semester! Take like one or two, and a maximum of three. College classes are harder, and are scheduled differently than your high school classes. Allow yourself enough brain space to make the sea change.

3. Most universities are pressure-cooker environments. Most Universities have a minimum of classes you have to take to remain a "full time student" and have access to amenities like dorms. Did I also mention that they have very little mercy if you flunk them, and that flunking them is not a hard thing to do?

My advice: Resist the pressure! Live at home and commute if you have to, and avoid taking more classes than you want to. If you're particularly stuck, say that you're going to take a class and withdraw. Do not assume that you can handle their demands. Because you probably can't.

If you think that you are anywhere close to flunking a class or can't finish, withdraw IMMEDIATELY and make sure you're withdrawn. If you get sick and miss a bunch of classes, withdraw. You probably won't make it. (Many universities will let you off the hook if you're sick. Take advantage of the opportunity!)

4. General Education in college is just like high school - except harder.

5. Taking a class IN YOUR MAJOR is a good idea first semester. You need to know if this really is something you want to study. If you don't like it, bug out. You do NOT have the time, energy, or motivation to pursue something you don't want to study in college. College is already ###### without being stuck in a major you hate on top of it.

And if you're lucky, it's a break from GE ######.

6. You probably will change your major. Your first guess, no matter how informed, of what you want to do with your life is probably not right. A few people get lucky. Chances are, you're not one of them. And no amount of psychology testing will replace ugly real-life experience and blasted rubber pavement.

7. Living on your own is a challenge that is just as bad as college. If your parents are paying for your college, living away from them is probably not a good idea. They will want to have a say in all of your college decisions, since they're paying, and doing that without face-to-face interaction is hard.

If you do decide to live on your own:

A. College needs a cafeteria. You need a reliable and timely food source.

B. Watch for thieves, especially around bikes. Don't bring your $1000 mountain bike to college. Also, check the wheels and seatpost. Some wheels and seats attach to the bike via bolts that take a wrench to undo. Those are good. Some wheels and seats attach via a lever on the bike. If that's your bike, you need cables to go through the wheels and seat to prevent them from getting stolen - a simple U-lock is not enough. Thieves will take wheels and seats off your bike, leaving the frame behind - and now you're short one bike.

C. I really recommend having a car instead of a bike.

D. Always arrive 10-15 minutes early for every class. Always. When leaving your dorm room, account for the time to walk to class. Riding your bike will take longer, especially if you have to lock it up using cables. Use it for longer trips.

E. With your parents not around, you will act according to your preferences. Don't be surprised if you change in unexpected ways.

F. Attending class is not optional. Tell yourself this five times every day and write it on a huge poster on your wall.

G. If you're a night owl and you like staying up late, don't schedule a class for 8:00 AM. You won't make it. Period.

8. Paying for your own college is a good idea. But taking out student loans will chain you for a very long time.

9. Community Colleges are a lot cheaper and don't put pressure on you the way universities do. However, they may not have as many of the courses that you want. At a community college, you can take whatever, in whatever amount you want, and they won't give you a rat's tooth worth of complaint. The cost per semester is in the hundreds instead of thousands, which means that you probably won't be taking out loans or having to deal with your parents.

The problem is, they probably won't have courses in astrophysics. Even if they do have a good Associates for you, the courses may not be available when you need them.

Also, the quality of instruction can be a mixed bag. While community colleges will hire an actual prof to do your class, it really depends on the community college.

10. Most universities hire graduate students to teach undergraduate classes. This can mean poor quality instruction.

11. Being an "A" student in high school does not disqualify you from any of the above, especially Fact #2. The fact of the matter is, college is a very different environment than high school. You will feel like a fish out of water at some point. Guaranteed.

12. If you get an entering university scholarship, chances are you will lose it during the first year. That's because most scholarships require you to maintain a certain GPA, which you will dip below thanks to fact #2. Scholarships are not a viable way to pay for college - don't count on them. If you use a scholarship, chances are you'll get it after you've entered college and spent some time there.

13. How you will react to college is currently unknown. It may be a blast, or it may be terrible. My advice will prepare you for the worst. I hope that your college experience is better than this pre-mortem. However, chances are you will run into at least one of these 12 facts. Don't say I didn't warn you.

14. If you don't want to go to college, don't go to college. If you really want to do something else other than college, like go kayaking in the Amazon or write a novel, bug out of college and just go do it. You'll feel a whole lot better about yourself if you spend your younger years doing what you really want to do instead of just going to college because everyone else is going to college.

You do NOT have the strength to "just get through" college and fight your own desire to do something else. Tried that, didn't work. If you don't really want to do what your major is, eventually you'll ask the "why am I here?" question. It's a lot easier to fight your circumstances to fit what you want than it is to fight yourself to fit into someone else's career plan. At the college level, that is too hard. You have to WANT to learn from the mistakes you will make first semester to get yourself out of the hole - or WANT to fight against falling into that hole in the first place.

If you honestly don't know what you want to do, I seriously doubt it. You want to do something, even if it is to eat a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich. You may not want a specific college major, but you do want something. If you don't believe me, go write down a list of the things you want.

15. Keep walking. It's easier to figure your path in your life if you're moving, instead of standing still. Or playing video games. If you flunk college, you're not alone - try again. If your parents won't support your plans, find another way. Don't give up until you've exhausted everything that you can think of. Yes, it is possible to work around people who won't let you do things. It takes time - a lot of it - and a good plan. You cannot allow yourself to give up, because fighting obstacles always takes longer than you think.

At the same time, if you succeed, keep walking. If you're disappointed, keep walking. Keep asking yourself "What's next? What do I do now? What's the next plan?" If you make a mistake, keep walking. No matter what, keep walking.

Remember that this is walking. I'm not asking you to run. Or jump through rings of fire. College will ask that of you sometimes. I'm not. Because expecting too much of yourself is how you fail. On the road of life, everything will happen so slow, and if you run too fast the obstacles will overwhelm you. Walk. But don't STOP.

Do investigate those new opportunities when they come to you. Do walk away from things you don't want. But what's next?

And that's up to you to decide.