Going away to college is a crazy time that everyone looks forward to as they approach their freshman year. However, one of the hardest parts of going away is leaving all the close friendships you made for the past 18 years in your hometown. Maintaining close relationships with your “home friends” is extremely important especially during freshman year. There are so many reasons why it’s great to keep your home friends close but here are just 10:

1. Having your best friends to come home to

My first fall break freshman year was the most exciting break I had because it was the longest I had gone without seeing my close home friends. We got to reminisce on high school and were able to share some stories from the first month of being away. It was so refreshing being able to be around my best friends again.

2. Having an unbiased opinion

Whether you're dealing with drama or even anything related to your school, it’s always nice to have someone who doesn’t necessarily know the people or surroundings you’re talking about. This way they can let you know if you're being ridiculous or have a good point on whatever the situation is.

3. Being able to visit different schools and having your friends visit you

It’s so exciting when you finally get to visit your best friend and put a face to all the names you’ve heard about since your friends started school. It’s also really exciting to be able to see what your friends experience everyday and compare it to your own school!

4. You always have at least one person to FaceTime or call when you're bored

Now that you have both home and school friends, you always have someone who will be there for you regardless of the time of day. Being able to catch up with your home friends is so necessary especially the first few months of school so you don’t lose touch.

5. They know everything about you

At college, not all of your new friends will fully understand your stories, but your high school friends lived with you through them. They know all about every bad break up and have seen you at your awkward stages in middle school and still love you anyway. They’ve experienced all of your hardships as well as your successful moments and you couldn’t be more grateful to have friends like that.

6. Every time you’re home together, you want to go to the exact same places

Every time my friends and I are home, we all want to go to the same restaurant. Every friend group has a tradition and they're all uniquely special and mean a lot to each person.

7. Catching up on hometown gossip

Whether it's when you're home or if you're just texting, the latest happenings in your hometown will always come up. Everyone finds out about everything quickly, especially if you're from a small town.

8. You can catch up on all of your inside jokes

Even though you haven’t hung out in a few months, it’s always nice to get back to each other and start picking back up where you left off, especially when it comes to inside jokes. It happens so naturally and before you know it things are right back to where they were before you left.

9. You have someone you can totally act like yourself around without any fears of being judged

When you first get to college, it can be hard to act like yourself around all of the new people you're meeting. But once you can go home or call your best friends, your weird side immediately comes out and you know that your friend will be acting the same exact way.

10. They are the reason you are who you are today

Looking back, you know that every experience you had, your home friends were there for you and by your side the entire time. Without them, you wouldn’t be anywhere close to the person you are now because they shaped your views, opinions, and even your actions throughout your childhood. Home friends are the best type of friends for this exact reason because these experiences are irreplaceable.