No Diet Coke on campus... I wish I would have found a fellow addict beforehand so that I wouldn't have been so traumatized the first day I moved in. It's a torturous life living on a campus run by Pepsi products, but I promise with all my heart that everything will be okay.

Follow these five simple tidbits of knowledge that I listed below and you will thank me later.

1. McDonald's on Lake Michigan drive has the BEST drive-thru diet coke around

beer, cake
Maiya Hoard

Ever running late because you just had to stop at McDonald's to grab a diet coke? Trust me, we have all been there and done that. McDonald's just seems to have the best mix of carbonation to syrup creating a miracle. The biggest disappointment is when that diet coke is a Coke or diet Dr. Pepper. We get it, accidents happen, but how gross!

2. Grand Valley is a Pepsi Co. town, and it is heartbreaking

coffee, beer
Maiya Hoard

All fountain machines on campus are Pepsi products. Nothing against Pepsi, it just cannot come anywhere near to filling the void. That empty sluggish feeling as if your only happiness in life is just out of reach. As if you wake up from a dream where you are sipping ice cold Diet Coke on the sands of Aruba and wake up to a Michigan winter blizzard outside your window.

Diet Coke is a way of life to some, it is something you look forward to on a daily basis. However, if you are committed to a meal plan, a drink comes with for every meal deal. Then you must decide, do you betray your one and only, or stay loyal?

3. You know how to get the deals

beer, pizza, coffee, tea
Brittany Patrosso

If Diet Coke truly runs through your veins, you know a good deal when you see one. The mobile app Flipp is your weekly go-to. You go straight to the search bar and type in "coke", which seems like a sin when looking for diet coke, but this app searches brands.

I seriously have saved a good $3 per 12 pack on diet coke. This miracle of an app will compare all of the weekly ads in your area to find you the best deals on coke products that week.

4. You have that bin to help you lug that sweet nectar of life to your apartment or dorm 

coffee, tea, beer
Molly McGeeney

We all have our ways of transporting our precious Diet Coke, such as: a simple plastic bin, a roller bag, or a backpack. The things we do to make sure we are stocked because let's face it, without diet coke we might not make it through our 10 am. That's right, we don't drink it just for lunch or dinner, it is an all day affair.

5. Where you can find the diamonds in the rough

coffee, soy sauce, molasses, espresso, beer
Bethany Garcia

If you are truly addicted to Diet Coke you know it is hard to find on campus. Kleiner and Connection P.O.D. convenience stores sell diet coke in 20 oz. bottles. Prime for an on the go pick me up. These are the true diamonds in a land of Pepsi.

I hope you are ready to take on campus after this delightful information. Do not be afraid to utilize these tips and tricks on the regular. And if anything, know that someone is more addicted to Diet Coke than you are.