Besides worrying if they’ll get along with their roommates, which sorority/fraternity to pledge, what everyone else will be wearing and who delivers pizza at 1:30 a.m., here are some additional things that soon-to-be college freshmen should be thinking about.

• Courses you pick for first semester: Whether your student is dead-set on a major or feeling overwhelmed with too many choices, striking a good balance in the first semester course load is critical.

• Everything counts more. Generally speaking, when comparing college class work with high school, there is less busy work, less nurturing, less flexibility on deadlines, less day-to-day homework, less opportunity for extra credit, fewer tests and more papers and more emphasis on class participation in a meaningful way. Most students take some time to adjust to the independence and the new standards.

• Getting uncomfortable. Freshmen will be bombarded every day with clubs to join, experiences to sign up for, guest lectures to attend and new people to meet. Take advantage of the opportunity to reinvent yourself. Get lost on campus on purpose, attend a poetry reading, eat something you’ve never tried before, be a spectator at a less popular sports event, keep a journal. Whatever you choose is fine. Just do it differently.