For many students like myself, high school does not compare to college in the slightest. High school was fun and all, but college prepares you for the life ahead of you. College allows you to grow and find yourself and far different aspects of your life than you ever could while attending high school. Take it from someone who just finished their freshman year of college, nothing is the same. In all aspects, for better lack of words, college is freaking hard.

1. "You mean I don't have to go to class if I don't want to?"

Let's face it, there are going to be some mornings where it will take everything that you have in you to get up and go to class. Unfortunately, you have to.

2. Doing your own laundry

I am sure there are some of you, like myself, who had to do their own laundry in high school. Despite that being the case or not, there was nobody telling you that two weeks worth of laundry was unacceptable. Therefore we let is pile up and then have to fight other residents for washers and dryers.

3. The workload

High school does not prepare you for the amount of work you will encounter in college. One day it feels as if you have it all together. The next day you are not sure how you are going to make it through the day.

4. Your future becomes real.

Regardless of your year, you will always be reminded the main reason why you are attending college.

5. Home cooked meals are never taken for granted.

Even if your campus food is decently appetizing, the moment you go home and eat a home cooked meal will be a feeling you treasure for the rest of your college years.

6. You make friends to last a lifetime.

Some of us have the luxury of having both great friends in high school and in college. Although that may be true, there is something about experiencing college together that will create a very close bond.

7. "Am I going to regret going out tonight?"

In high school, getting all of your work done during the week was no problem and going out with your friends was probably just hanging out in your friends basement. We all want to have fun, but we also have to make sure that we put even more time in the books than we do our social life. Usually if you have to ask yourself this, you know you should probably just head to the library. It will save you the stress later.

8. You will come across a different type of person everyday.

In high school you have no choice but to constantly be surrounded by the same people. In college, you have no idea who you will meet and you will appreciate that.

9. Dressing down becomes a new normal.

In high school, for some of us, looking nice on a daily basis was normal. In college, whether it is to class after an all nighter or just going to the library, sweatpants become your best friend. In the end, you find yourself saving all of your cute outfits for the weekend.

10. Homesickness is a thing.

When you are in high school, you never really get to understand the feeling of missing home. In college, sometimes you just need a little hug from your family and a night in your own bed.

11. You have all of the freedom in the world.

High school allows for your parents to always be in control. Let's face it, whether your parents are 5 miles away or 400 miles away, there is not much they can tell you that you can and cannot do.