College is the time to truly feel independent — to explore new things, meet new people and finally feel totally free. Students get the chance to stay up all night playing broomball, eat nothing but Fighting Burrito and perfect their keg stands on the weekends. It’s the time we can enjoy everything that comes along with being young in a college town, when we feel like we’ve got the world by the tail.

But the harsh reality is, we won’t be in college forever. As much as we love it, we’ve got to understand that someday we’ll have to actually use the things we’re learning in class in a real-world work environment.

College is a transition period, the roughly four years of preparation we’re allotted between leaving high school and entering our professional careers. And we need to use it as such.

College is the time to start being professional. That certainly doesn’t mean students need to wear blazers and kitten heels to class every day, but it’s time to start investing in the professional clothing we’ll need for the rest of our lives. Once we graduate, we must cease our daily yoga pants wearing, and hoodies simply because it won’t be acceptable to wear to work — unless, of course, we’ll be working from home.

The time has come for students to start purchasing dress pants and shoes, knee-length skirts and silk neck ties in preparation for job interviews and internships. We’ll have to spend some actual money on our clothes in an effort to develop a more professional appearance. Now is the time to practice dragging a comb through our hair in the morning before leaving the house — and putting a bit more thought into our outfit choices.

College is also the time students need to start developing an appreciation for timeliness. Students shouldn’t just be on time for class; we need to be on time for everything, from meetings to extracurricular events. Punctuality is necessary not only to prevent missing out on the first few minutes of a gathering or performance, it’s necessary because it shows consideration and respect.

In the work-world, there is nothing more unprofessional than being late; it’s not about missing out on information. Being late shows that you aren’t excited to be there — and worse, it shows that you don’t respect others’ time.

To help improve punctuality, students should purchase a planner or datebook — or even use the easy Google calendar to keep appointments. We need to start practicing good organization skills now, because in the future, the ability to aptly manage time will be vital in every aspect of our personal and professional lives.

Here at Iowa State, we have an unlimited supply of resources widely available for students’ use to help us prepare for our future careers. At the Career Services centers, students from any major can learn how to write an effective resume and cover letter, participate in practice interview sessions and explore careers and internships available in their field.

Iowa State also provides classes to help students prepare to enter the professional world, such as the one-credit LAS 201, which focuses on professional employment preparation. The class teaches students how to develop career plans, apply and interview effectively for professional positions and land their dream internships.

Students need to use their college years as a transition period. That doesn’t mean we need to burn our sweats and stop LARPing on Central Campus — and it definitely doesn’t mean we have to stop having fun.

But students do need to start taking advantage of the impressive variety of opportunities all over campus as much as possible, to start feeling confident in our professional abilities as soon as we can. Equally important is the need for professionalism in all aspects of our daily lives, from class to extracurricular. Be on time, respect your coworkers and classmates, and start working on your “dress for success” wardrobe.

We have four years before we enter the professional world — and we need to start using them.