People start college and university at very different times each year: some of you are already busy studying (or partying, or both), while others will start in the next few weeks. Either way, there’s some common sense advice that freshmen need to hear.

Kelly Corrigan writes in The New York Times that it’s important to know how to cook nutritious food and to have a basic working knowledge about money and saving before starting your studies.

Corrigan also adds that basic things like keeping your dorm room door open and saying ‘hi’ to people around campus can work wonders for your social life. What’s more, you should never be pressured into drinking if you don’t want to — playing tabletop games with a few close friends is a perfectly fine way to spend your Friday night.

But let’s not forget what college is really about — exercising your brain and growing as a person. So be sure to put in the effort during lectures and seminars: sit in front; participate; ask questions; meet with your professors; do the work; put in the effort.

But remember, there are some things that no one can tell you and that you’ll have to find out for yourself. Dear Pandas, how has your college experience been so far? What awesome, funny, and unexpected lessons did you learn there?