College is a whole new beast for incoming freshmen — it provides new freedoms, new responsibilities, and adult opportunities. It can be anxiety-inducing to think about, for sure, but you’ll do great with the right mindset. Take a look at some ways to prepare, and you feel more confident about this new life chapter.

1. Strengthen Your Acne Treatment

Even if you’re a person who is naturally confident, a bad breakout can hamper self-assurance. Acne should be the least of your problems right now but can, unfortunately, be exacerbated during periods of stress. That’s why, if acne is an issue for you, it’s worth nipping it in the bud.

Luckily, it’s not too difficult to get strong acne treatment without hassle during such a hectic, insecure time. You can use an online prescription service, and they will evaluate you and provide a prescription. All you need the time for is a quick virtual consultation, after which your prescription will be sent by mail.

2. Find Friends With Similar Interests

Before you set out on your adventure, you’ll likely be invited to join some social media groups for incoming students. Even though you’re not there yet, this is a great way to make friends at your new college. When you finally arrive, you’ll already have people you know to hang out with.

These groups make it easier to find those with similar interests, but don’t worry if that doesn’t happen immediately. Once the school year begins, there will be plenty of opportunities to join clubs and groups that you relate to. The shared interests of everyone involved will forge bonds that would be much harder to create elsewhere.

3. Be Open to New Experiences

The college experience often teaches you more about yourself than you’ve ever known because of the new opportunities available. It’s easy to stay inside your comfort zone, but there’s no time like college to break out of it. There are fascinating new classes in all subject areas, character-building volunteer programs, and special-interest events of all types to explore.

There are also new social experiences, from class meetups to parties and dates, that’ll teach you a lot about yourself. You could end up discovering a lifelong passion or share an experience with friends that bonds you for life. As long as you make these choices responsibly, new experiences can help you be more in tune with yourself.

4. Know Your Limits

On the other hand, sometimes these experiences fall into a gray area — ultimately, you won’t be comfortable doing everything. It’s important to trust your gut when something comes along that confuses you or makes you feel uneasy. Breaking out of your comfort zone is great, but recognize an activity or decision may be uncomfortable for a good reason.

Succumbing to peer pressure to do something you’re truly afraid of, for example, can hurt you. Trust yourself to transcend your comfort zone when needed, but also trust its true red flags to guide you. They can show up at any time from when you’re choosing your major to being invited to try illegal drugs.

5. Refine Your Study Habits

High school tends to make a big deal of studying to get good grades without teaching how to do so. Additionally, many students end up succeeding without too much effort and never learn how to study on their own. There’s no shame if you’re one of these people — in fact, these days it’s quite common.

You can get ahead of this issue by refining your study habits before you leave home. Go into your higher studies with a plan based on what study methods you find work best for you. It won’t take long to figure out and will provide a major head start in assimilating to college academics.

6. Gather Your Favorite School Supplies

If your study methods involve the use of certain school supplies to stay organized, start the school year prepared. You may have found that a binder is more effective than a folder or you prefer pencil over pen. If that’s true, purchase your favorite supplies before your first class. These little boons add up where it counts, and can make your college experience more positive.

Remember when you had a different color notebook for every subject in school? The same trick can work for college courses. Get the items you need for each class early. Buying textbooks early, means you have more conditions to choose from and can usually get a better price. Knowing you have everything you’ll need will also be reassuring. It means you can focus on your coursework rather than if you have a pencil.

The truth is, you’re not going to get used to college right away. The rigorous classes, difficult social situations, and emotional effects of leaving home will pull on you from all directions. Give yourself the time to get used to it all even if everyone else looks comfortable — they almost certainly aren’t.

Just take things slowly when you need to and be patient with yourself. College really is a whole different life that can get overwhelming in an instant. Be confident in who you are, and eventually, you’ll get where you want to be.