I've never really been the girl who had a lot of close girlfriends. For the most part from elementary to high school, I stuck with one or two close friends who were girls and that was about it. I did have a pretty wide friend group and a lot of them were girls, but I always kept my inner circle pretty tight.

And it wasn't because I was a tomboy or because I got along better with guys or really for any particular reason... I'm about as girly as it gets in many things. I just never understood what was so great about having a HUGE group of girlfriends. However, once I graduated and moved to college, I discovered something truly awesome- girl squads ROCK.

Seriously, I don't think I've ever had more fun than when I'm on adventures with my girlfriends or jamming out on car rides or having movie marathons that run late into the night so you have to all just crash at someone's apartment. I used to have such a stigma when it came to girlfriend groups. I thought they were cheesy and cliche and kind of overrated. Once I found a girl group of my own though, I finally understood what all the hype was about. With that said, let me give you 10 easy reasons why every girl needs her own girl squad.

1. Girls understand girls.

A squad is useful for so many things, but one of the biggest is that they understand what you go through. Your guy friends or boyfriend may be sweet and encouraging in listening to your struggles, but they can't truly understand what you're dealing with like your girlfriends can.

Yes, I am talking about "that time of the month" and the hormones and the irritation with any and everything around you during that week, BUT I'm also talking about general life stuff. Your relationships with others, your feelings, your struggles, your accomplishments... other girls will understand how you think and what you need.

2. They're there for emotional support.

Hands down, one of the biggest stereotypes girls get is that we're "too emotional". And while I will never apologize for being too caring or too loving or for feeling real emotions, I do agree that in general, we are a much more emotional bunch than the majority of men.

That said, who better to understand your emotions than your girls? They understand how to comfort you when you fail a class or your parents are driving you insane or you feel stressed all the time. And they're always there to provide hugs because they just get it.

3. They provide affection and love without the need for a significant other.

When you go through that horrible break up, who's there for you? That's right, your girl squad. They know that you need a ton of chocolate and ice cream, to binge-watch Friends and all the hugs. Your girls will nap with you, cuddle you, support you, listen to you, and love you even when you're acting stupid. What more could you want, really?

4. They go to brunch with you.

Try as he might, there are just some things that your boyfriend will never get as excited about as you. You'll want to go out to brunch, spend a whole day shopping, try out that new hipster restaurant by your house, or just hang out in a coffee shop and write. While you may have guy friends who are willing to do these things with you, more often than not they would rather just stay in and play Fortnite or watch John Wick. And that's completely okay. Go get brunch with the girls and Instagram it to your heart's content.

5. They'll take bomb pictures with you/of you.

Again, try as he might, your boyfriend just may not understand how to properly take pictures with you or of you. There's a ton of things to consider- lighting, angles, your good side, how your hair falls, how your clothes are positioned. Girls get it!! Chances are that within a few weeks, your girl squad will have down TO A TEE exactly how to pose in group pictures, what makes for the best candids, who needs to be on the left side, etc. They're also willing to match with you, which all girls know is absolutely adorable and goals.

6. You can send them memes, gifs, and funny cat videos.

I mean, who else are you going to tag in that super cute video of the puppy cuddling the kitten? The squad group chat is just the hub for this because they understand why you "literally died" laughing at the llama running around the yard. If your girlfriends don't regularly spam your Facebook, Instagram, and Messages with links to funny memes, videos, and gifs describing their current moods, is it even real?

7. They'll watch cheesy rom-coms with you and sing along as you jam out to HSM songs on car rides.

Your girl squad is ALWAYS willing to watch that ridiculously cheesy rom-com with you, even if the acting is terrible and the plot is predictable. They will also not only let you play the HSM soundtrack on loop in the car, but they'll even sing along at the top of their lungs with you. I mean, that's true friendship right there.

8. They understand why it takes you 5 outfit changes and 2 hours to get ready.

Your boyfriend just doesn't understand why it takes you SO LONG to get ready for things. For him, it takes maybe half an hour to shower, put some gel in his hair, and put on a clean shirt and pants. For you, there's a whole routine to follow.

Your girl squad will understand that you need to moisturize, prime, dab in the foundation (not smear), bake, shape the brows, contour the cheeks, set the face, and everything in between. They'll also get why that top just does not go with those jeans and you need to search for a new one. The group chat is probably buzzing with outfit suggestions and OOH GIRL YES, SLAY's.

9. They'll tell you the truth, even when you don't like it.

If you've been backsliding when it comes to your grades, a boy, old habits, your girls won't be afraid to tell you. Honesty and loyalty are more important to your friend group than anything else and while they know it might hurt your feelings, they're willing to tell you the truth if they know it's what's best for you. The awesome thing is, they'll do it in love.

10. They encourage you like no one else.

Girl squads know how to celebrate your efforts and accomplishments better than anyone. They're always there to tell you that you CAN and when you DO, there will automatically be an endless flood of "YESSSS, SO PROUD OF YOU", "YOU DESERVE IT", and "YOU'RE AMAZING", complete with all the heart emojis. They're also the best accountability partners and will always tell you they're proud when you cut the carbs or do well on an assignment or finally have that DTR talk with your bae.

Basically, if you don't already have one, get you a girl squad. They're absolutely incredible and you don't realize everything you've been missing until you have them. I know I didn't.