The important less I have learned in college (beyond simple useful knowledge) is that your average pre-20 year old annoys me to no end. They complain about things that ultimately don't matter (and won't change), they routinely make silly life choices and they expend a great deal of energy discussing things with no inherent value (that I often do not care about). I did all of these things too, but thanks to the delay caused by my elistment I have been able to observe this trend in people from the outside in large numbers.
This isn't a dig at such activity nor an assertion that all people in that particular age category participate, simply that very generally I don't get along with the young college kids as a result such action.
All of my relevant advice is fairly obvious. Show up for classes, pay attention to a lecture, ask questions if you don't understand a concept, participate in labs and complete all the work you have been assigned. If you do these things, even a water-headed moron can pass a difficult class.
Exercise - not because you want to look good for the opposite sex or anything like that. College can be stressful. Your performance actually matters (and if one does poorly enough the ramifications can be staggering), you are dealing with large numbers of people you don't know well and you are dealing with the opposite sex in much more ambiguous circumstances. Exercise will help you blow off steam in addition to ensuring you look and feel better.
Sleep. No really. Don't stay out partying or stay up on a raid until 3 in the morning. You're going to need every ounce of energy you can muster to stay motivated during a semester. Just as important, keep a consistant sleep cycle and don't keep your body guessing. This ensures you wake up easier and have more energy to divert to the things you have to do (like attending class and completing assignments) and the things you want to do (like hang out with friends and fraternize).
Join student organizations. These ensure you start meeting people with similar interests. Lots of kids who arrive at college end up miserable because they don't take the effort to develop a social circle. These people are not only kept around for keeping you sane, they can also throw you a lifeline in times of stress. Finding a ride home after a party or night on the towwn is a lot easier if you know people and if you struggle in a class, it's easier (and cheaper) to ask a friend for help than a tutor.
Start realizing you're an adult and act like it. Just because someone won't tell you not to, try to play it smart. Stay away from the hard drugs, consume the softer ones in moderation and start thinking about what you'll spend your life doing. The first year of college is usually focused on finding a path to follow. Figure out what you liked doing in the classes and then figure out how it translates into a career. Once you find a thread to follow, grab it and run. Having a plan is perhaps the most important thing because it gives you an impartial benchark against which one can weigh most anything from picking electives to deciding if drinking until 3am on the night before a mid-term is worthwhile.
