If you’ve ever said the words, “I’m not going to get involved yet, I need adjust to being in college first,” go to your 12-stall dorm bathroom and wash your mouth out with soap right now.

This will not be the first time you’re nannied and hectored in college, so take a deep breath and internalize the next sentence you read. Adjusting to college life will not be difficult.

For most people, there will be a few new things to get used to. You now have to wake yourself up for your classes, do your own laundry (pro tip: triple check the dryers for socks; I promise you didn’t get it all), walk the whole 50 yards to get dinner, and look both ways before crossing the street. It’s a big jump from what you’ve already been doing, I know.

I’ll reveal the secret to doing college the best way – and you can trust me on this; after all, I am the one that’s writing this.

Build a network of people who care about you and will help you when you’re struggling, so you won’t have to face all of college’s problems alone. And no, I didn’t steal that from a Hallmark card.

If getting too involved or having a robust social life will get in the way of forming good study habits, then by all means, stop reading this and pick up your textbook. I have nothing else to tell you, except that the most difficult parts of college are things you can’t prepare for, and what you need is a support system to get you through it all.

When I had to deal with the deaths of my classmates and a professor last semester, I didn’t get through it because I took the time to adjust to college my first semester freshman year. I got through it because I had a friend and colleague from The Maroon who was also going through the same thing and could keep pace with my drinking habits. Would I have had that relationship if I had joined The Maroon later than I did? Not likely.

I was about to fail a class one semester because I forgot to print out an essay that was due before class was over. It wasn’t taking things slowly that printed my essay out and brought it to me in the middle of class — it was one of my pledge brothers in my fraternity. Had I waited longer to rush, we wouldn’t have been in the same pledge class, and there’s no telling who could’ve done that for me.

If you’re someone who isn’t convinced by by anecdotes, look at it pragmatically. In several months, you’re going to have to make a new schedule. If you join Greek Life, the Awakening community or The Maroon — a few examples that I coincidentally happen to be involved with — you’ll have access to a group of people who can tell you who the better professors are or how heavy the workload is for a class. Are you having problems paying tuition? Good thing your fraternity has a scholarship, and your brothers know which financial aid counselors are the most helpful.

Everyone should decide for themselves what their college experience should be like, and if you don’t want to jump right into everything Loyola has to offer, there’s nothing wrong with that; it’ll all be there waiting for you. Just don’t let “I’ll take it easy so I can adjust” turn into “I regret not getting involved sooner.”