For many of us, coming to Cal was a major transition, not only in the caliber of your coursework and college environment, but also in the people you meet. Most of your friends have probably decided to attend a college different from yours, which meant that you had to start out fresh in social networking. And making a new set of friends.

This sounds like a defunct cliche, but friends are extremely important in college. They are the support you have during downtimes and define much of your college experience. Friends can often mediate stressful or upsetting situations, and make "happy" times even better. When you feel overwhelmed by your coursework or activities, they can be there to cheer you up.

Family is also a significant part of our lives. Keeping in touch with parents or siblings can make a difference, no matter how estranged your relationship with them seemed when you left home. Drop them a line occasionally to catch up with what's going on back at home, because family is the one social network that you've always been tied to, and one that you can rely on and trust.