The first semester of college is about to begin! Are you worried about making mistakes?

I’m sure you want your first semester at college to go as smoothly as possible. Wondering if you’ll make friends with your roommate? If your classes will be exciting? If you’ll make any dating blunders in the first few months?

Don’t worry! I’ve got a list of 10 mistakes that I made during my own first semester of college. Learn from these (many) blunders, and you’ll be just fine!

10. Taking Early Morning Classes

While early morning classes may be right for some people, they’re certainly not right for everyone. (I belong to the latter group.) If you’re not a morning person, do not sign up for 8 a.m. classes! A very common mistake students make in the first semester of college is scheduling classes for when they are least productive. If your brain isn’t fully active until after noon, make sure that you’re not doing any heavy thinking before then.

9. Studying in Groups

While there are the few people for which this method of studying works, I am certainly not one of them. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because you’re chatting with a group of classmates, you’re studying for your upcoming exam. Studying is best done alone, and in a quiet place. Your on-campus library is one of the many college resources available to you for a quiet study space.

8. Last Minute Scheduling

Scheduling is something a lot of students make mistakes on during their first semester at college. While scheduling classes in college can be tough, it doesn’t have to be stressful or impossible. Just don’t put it off to the last minute. The perfect class schedule in college is possible, just know how to make it!

7. Living Off Junk Food

While it might be convenient and cheap, living off junk food in your first semester of college is a big mistake. Don’t cater to the stereotype and avoid gaining those infamous freshman 15! There are lots of cheap and easy meals that you can make in your dorm kitchen that can be healthier than the options your local Pizza Hut has to offer.

6. Signing Up for Credit Cards

Sure, they may be giving away an oversized t-shirt that you’ll never wear, or a pen that you could add to your collection during your first semester of college. But really, that’s not a reason to sign up for a credit card with that particular bank. Think about it — do you really need a credit card? If you decide that you do, do your research and make sure you don’t make the mistake of signing up for a credit card with the first bank that approaches you.

5. Ignoring Your Roommate

It’s simple: getting along with your roommate is absolutely essential to a good college experience. Think about it — you’re going to be living in a tiny room with this randomly selected person for at least a semester. It’s probably a good idea to be as friendly, respectful and understanding as possible so that you can hopefully get the same treatment in return.

4. Keeping Your Door Closed

This common mistake is a big one, and it may be something you’ve never thought of! During your first semester of college, you want to make as many friends as possible, especially with people living on the same floor as you. And it’s easier than you think.

All you have to do is keep your door open, literally! Keeping your dorm room door open is inviting for people passing by to pop their heads in and introduce themselves. And while sometimes you need a little privacy, there’s no better way to make friends than to appear interested in doing so.

3. Dating Someone on Your Floor

If you’re living in a co-ed dorm, it’s highly likely that you’ll find someone on your floor attractive during your first semester of college. But as much as it may seem like your romance will last forever, chances are your first crush in college won’t be the person you marry.

So here’s a tip from the wise: do not make the mistake of dating someone on your floor! If for some reason your romance fizzles out, you don’t want to have to see that person (along with the new person they decide to invite over) on an everyday basis.

2. Going to Parties Alone

You know yourself better than anyone else. If you know that there is no chance that you might need a friend to babysit you so that you don’t do anything stupid during the night, then going to parties alone during your first semester of college is not a mistake at all. But if you have the tendency to get a little carried away, make sure you know that there’s someone around who will keep an eye out for you!

1. Not Getting Involved

Student life on campus has plenty to offer. If you don’t take advantage of all the clubs and organizations, you only have yourself to blame. Joining campus activities during your first semester of college is a great way to make friends and get involved. Interested in joining the Greek life? There are plenty of options for that as well.

The first semester of college is an exciting time for students, full of situations that will both fascinate and surprise you. No matter how much you plan to avoid them, mistakes are bound to happen. But don’t worry! As long as you learn from the mistakes and quickly bounce back up, I promise that your college experience won’t be ruined.