This year, 2011, may or may not be the last before the end of the world, so let’s make it a good one. Better yet, let’s not repeat embarrassing mistakes we made during the first semester of college (and, shamefully, all the semesters after that). Resolutions are just something to toast to, but there are some things in life that do not need to be repeated. The following 10 things are freshman mistakes. Avoid them, you’ll stay on top of that rock star lifestyle Lil Wayne continues to wheeze about:

10. Facebook updates: Let’s keep these to a daily maximum of one. I know it’s tempting, but no one cares if you are “”shopping with the besties!”” One status should be enough to satisfy the need to update. If you absolutely need to update on all aspects of your day, get a Twitter account.

9. Do not freak out. Whatever it is, your life is out of your control. Ironic, yet true; how can you plan for forgetting to upload a ten-page paper on D2L worth 25 percent of your grade? Well, maybe you could plan for that one, but there is no point in wasting precious energy freaking out on the happenings of life. In the words of Tupac, “”Everybody needs to chill.””

8. Do not eat at Panda Express more than once a day. Orange chicken, my mouth waters at the sound of it. However, a couple hours after, the deep-fried deliciousness turns into regret. Enough said.

7. “”How was your morning?:)””: do not text this to your one-night stand. This sounds thoughtful and slightly genuine, but no, it’s not cute. It’s strange, considering you were just bedside with him or her. One-night-stands are pretty basic, leave as covertly as possible to avoid the awkwardness and be friendly when run-ins occur.

6. Do not run from your cab driver. All of us have been scammed by people who want to “”share cabs”” and end up not paying for their portion of the ride. This does not make it OK to tell the cab driver you are “”getting cash”” and then book it. They will chase you and you will end up over-drafting to pay for that running meter.

5. Do not share personal stories in large lectures. When the professor asks, “”Who can give me an example?”” Do not tell all 200 people in your lecture class about how your ex-boyfriend is a heroin addict who stole your credit card to buy drugs while having another girlfriend at the same time. We all love awkward situations, but this is so personal it’s borderline psychotic.

4. Do not hook up with your teaching assistant. “”Office hours”” seems to be innuendo these days. Do the papers, not the teaching assistants.  

3. Do not miss an episode of “”Jersey Shore.”” Thursday nights, 10 p.m., clear your schedule. Go out or study afterward. Yes, this show is ridiculous and the people are heinous, but so entertaining. This hour of mindless television will do nothing but make you laugh and embrace your own Situation.

2. “”Your body is a wonderland, can I be Alice?”” No. If this line has worked for you, please contact me. But for the most part, let’s leave the pick-up lines for the creepy men, older than 45 years of age, who hang out in bars nightly hoping to score with the drunk college girls.

1. Do not be afraid. This is not a quote from the Bible. Do not be afraid to have fun, cause a scene, go skydiving, play with a snake, use the Ouija board, dance on a table, whatever. Life is too short, and our time here at UA is the best life has to offer. Corny? Yes. But seriously, make spring 2011 memorable. If anything, you’ll have more stories to tell the grandkids.

— Caroline Nachazel is a sophomore majoring in journalism and communication. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.