I’ve got a one-way ticket into the exclusive club everyone is talking about, and in only five short months I’ll be a full-time member.

You’ve definitely seen them around, the practically invincible ‘we don’t take no for an answer’ at the peak of health group.

No, I’m not talking about the upper-east-siders on the cast of Gossip Girl – I’m talking about ’20-somethings,’ the new age demographic that is defining the generation we live in.

Just think about it.

Not a day goes by without news of a 20-something activist becoming inspired to eventually start a charity (funded by a 20-something venture capitalist, of course) to change the world, or for example, creating a social networking site that connects more than 250 million people each day. That would be Facebook.com, created by, wait for it: a 20-something. These people aren’t just newsworthy; they’re revolutionary and making changes that in turn change the world we live in.

So here we are, a campus full to the brim of 20-somethings with all the pressures of society upon us but not a care in the world. For the first time, it’s hip to be an age – something you can’t buy, put on or remove. So the question is, how do we survive?

In the chaos of college life, there are a few things one should keep in mind to successfully survive his/her 20’s.

1. Live in the now. I know many fellow students who are either stuck in the past or aching for the future. It’s easy to say but hard to follow, as most of our time in college is spent obsessing over what will happen after graduation or what we’ll do with a degree. But constantly planning your future won’t get you anywhere, and it can be particularly stressful. Setting goals and planning ahead is useful and necessary, but there is only so much you can do. The obvious but simplistic truth is the NOW is what matters, right now. Enjoy what you’re doing when you’re doing it, and you’ll be a happy camper.

2. Be friends with yourself first. The opinion of your peers should come secondhand to your own opinion. If no one else is around, there’s always numero uno, and you don’t want to be stuck with someone you don’t even like. If you try and get to know yourself, you might find out that spending time alone can be just as worthwhile as hanging with friends. This is the one time where you can freely reinvent yourself on a whim, pick an eclectic hobby or basically do whatever you want, all with limited responsibility.

3. Take care of your body. 20-somethings tend to live like Superman, but there is more than kryptonite out there to hurt the rest of us. According to the 2008 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention one third of 18 to 29-year-olds are cigarette smokers, and one quarter are obese. We’re really not as invincible as we think, so make the most solid investment on the market and take care of your own health.

4. Forget getting permission. The times of raising your hand to leave the classroom or needing a hall pass are far behind. Don’t wait to ask for permission to do something you think is right. If Mark Zuckerberg had waited around for approval to start Facebook I think another Harvard man would be raking in the billions right now. If you start to trust your gut this early on in life, you’ll be a pro by the time you’re 30. If nothing else, intuition can help you make a decision when there is no line to cross and no black or white answer.

Lastly and most importantly, please don’t begrudge me this clich’eacute;:

5. Make mistakes. You’ve heard it before and I’ll say it again: People learn from mistakes. My own experiences have led me to understand why this is probably the most common advice given to young people. Life is a game of trial and error, so don’t be afraid to try something new or risk it all in the process. 20-somethings are lucky; we can get away with a lot more than our 30-something counterparts did when they were our age. Take advantage of this grace period and on occasion, throw caution to the wind. Consider this: It is estimated that millions of trees in the world are accidentally planted by squirrels who bury nuts and then forget where they hid them. So get out there and accidentally plant some trees!