It's August, which means department stores and shopping centers are already in full gear for their back to school mode. Bins of pencils, walls covered in backpacks, and the smell of new looseleaf pages fills the air, but so does the bittersweet feeling of leaving home again. Below are ten of the reasons why August is a bittersweet month for college kids.

1. Seeing All Your Friends.

It's so much fun getting to spend the last month of summer with all your friends, but it's so not fun also having to say goodbye to them once the end of the month rolls around. You know you're never really that far away from your friends, but some days the distance is hard to process.

2. Packing Up Your Life.

It feels like you literally just unpacked everything, and before you know it, you have to repack it all up again. You also have to remember what you need to pick up again before you head off to campus, and forget about carrying it all up those stairs.

3. Spending Time With Family.

Family is family. Sometimes they drive you crazy, but they are the only ones who will always be there for you and have your back regardless if you deserve it or not. Just because you know they'll always be there doesn't mean saying goodbye is easy.

4. The Final Vacation.

You always have one last trip around August to really solidify the fact that soon enough, you will be back to the daily grind of accounting, general chemistry, and that required religion class.

5. The Room Decor.

Ugh, this might be the most fun but also most frustrating part - figuring out decor before you start scrambling to move in. You want to have it all done in a day so you have one less thing to worry about, but everyone knows good ideas don't happen overnight.

6. Remembering The Rules.

Wait, so what isn't allowed in the dorms again? And why can't we have candles? That just seems stupid, but better make sure to get all your candle usage out of your system before you move back.

7. Preparing for Communal Showers.

Oh yeah, that's right. Flip flops.

8. Don't Forget About Dorm Food.

That means another semester of french fries, hamburgers, white rice, and overcooked pasta.

9. Leaving Your Pets.

Nothing feels worse than having to say goodbye to your furry friends, who will always break your heart with the last glance.

10. Pulling Up To Campus.

As much as you miss home, you know you're excited to start the new semester off fresh and go back to your normal school life. And, having your school friends right down the hall.