So came and went my last, first day of school ever. It wasn’t monumental or worth remembering except seeing friends I hadn’t had a chance to over the summer. I actually spent some time trying to remember my first day of kindergarten. It was 1994 and in the early morning shadows of my mom’s sunflowers that seemed like towers, I waited for a school bus to take me across town. And waiting for me was Detective John Kimble. He asked me who my daddy was and what he did for a living.But seriously, I am thankful for every day of my education, especially my time at Castleton. I’m lucky enough to have my parents put me through college and not have to worry about a full time job, or any other serious commitments outside school.

Ok, I think I finally have a firm grasp on reality and am ready to move on at some point. I had to learn a few things along the way. I’ve tried to come up with a short list of things I have learned in school. I have narrowed it down to five key things I will take away from college.

Number 5: Moderation. I had a lacrosse coach in high school who used to joke “moderation, boys” after a big win. Getting all torn up on the weekends can be fun, but also dangerous. Did you know 1 in 10 college students get alcohol poisoning every weekend across the U.S. according to a statistic I made up for this column? Not being able to hold your booze or psychedelic drugs isn’t good when you get older and become a young adult. But getting rowdy every once in a while aint bad if you have something to celebrate; “NAC Champs?”

Number 4: Talk to strangers. Sorry Ma and Pop, but I had to talk to strangers to meet people. But don’t worry, I didn’t accept any free candy. I’m not perfect even though I look it. So I can admit I’ve looked at someone before and said to myself, “Aw they look like a douche,” and sometimes I’ve been right and other times completely wrong. Ask my closest buddies and/or ex-girlfriends. I remember FYS and listening to professors and goofy upperclassmen telling me to be approachable and blah blah, and it really ended up working out like 80 percent of the time. The other 20 percent I looked like a crazy person.

Number 3: Time management, kids. Holy shit, I feel like time management should be number one for some reason. Who hasn’t spent a few all-nighters by the time they’re seniors? For the most part, I felt way more relaxed getting schoolwork out of the way early the few times I actually did. But I juggle multiple clubs, this gig, a part-time job, and a varsity sport. What are your excuses?

Number 2: Music makes the world go round. I expanded my music library so much in my four years at C-Rock. I was always a fan of writing and am a sucker for solid lyrics. Obviously jam bands and alternative bands kick ass in my book, but if I was never open to more music I wouldn’t have believed Deltron 3030 saying, “rap ain’t about busting caps and f**king bitches. It’s about fluency and rhyming ingenuity.”

Number 1: Keep a head on your shoulders. I never really understood what that means or if I even wrote it correctly, but I have come up with my own definition. Be true to yourself while keeping open to others. Being mature and viewed positive in others’ eyes all comes down to how you look at yourself. Does that make sense? It sounds cliche. In fact these all do, but they’re key things I’ve learned in college.

Honorable mention: Going to class (probably falls under time management, but really a no brainer).