Self-sufficient Skills That'll Help You when You Reach College ...

1. Wash Your Laundry

This is an obvious one, but it's something that every college kid should know how to do. It's pretty easy to throw laundry into a washer and dryer, but you also need to know how to remove period stains or ketchup stains. You should also take the sheets off of your bed to wash them, especially if you've been rolling around on them with your boyfriend. Your parents wont be around to complain about how dirty those sheets or clothes are, but that doesn't mean you should wear your jeans three weeks in a row without washing them.

2. Budget Your Money

If your parents sent you away with money, you need to figure out a way to budget it. If they gave you a credit card, you need to find a way to avoid going over your limit to keep good credit. You should also know how to correctly calculate a tip for your waiter, because you don't want to be rude.

3. Cook Your Meals

Don't forget to eat--it sounds silly to say, but many people end up skipping meals, because it slips their mind. Your parents aren't going to call you down for dinner, so you need to make sure you find a place to eat every morning, noon, and night. If you don't want to eat out, then you're going to have to learn how to cook something, even if it's just noodles.

4. Read Your Map

If you can't read a map, you'll struggle to find your way around campus. If you have to leave the area to go get groceries, then you might end up on the wrong bus or getting off at the wrong stop. In order to avoid getting hopelessly lost, you need to brush up on your directional skills.

5. Fix Your Car

If you're allowed to leave your car on campus, then you should know a few basic things about maintaining it. You need to know how to check the oil, how to pump gas, and how to jumpstart it if you get stuck out in the middle of nowhere. The more you know, the better.

6. Sew Your Clothes

Sewing may seem pointless now, but once you rip your favorite jeans and don't have enough money for a new pair, it'll be useful. Learn how to stitch fabric back together and how to sew a button back on your coat. It's not all that difficult, and it'll save you from an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction in the future.

7. Keep Yourself Safe

When you live at home, your parents will see you leave the house and will call you if you're not back by morning. But when you're in college, no one is going to be concerned about your whereabouts. If you get drunk and fall asleep in a park, no one will come rescue you. You need to take responsibility for yourself.

College is practice for the "real world," which means you need to be able to take care of yourself. Unless you have an unusually helpful roommate, there isn't going to be anyone else around to help you out when you're stuck in a jam. Do you know how to do all of the things listed above, or do you still need to learn?