By Christmas Break of my senior year of high school, I was ready to get away from home. I was ready to meet new people and put high school behind me. As the year went on, the excitement grew along with my constant battle with wanting to be treated like an adult. I sat through what seemed like hundreds of lectures about college. Turn your work in on time. Don't walk places alone. Fill out a FASFA. The classes are huge. There were a few things they didn't tell me.

They didn't tell me how much my friendships would change.

It's very rare that you end up in the same place as all of your high school friends. You don't assume that it will be a huge deal until they all start leaving. It came so quickly, and some friendships have never the same while other pick up right where they left off. Going to the same college doesn't guarantee a continued friendship, either. If you're lucky, friendships grow and become stronger. However, both of your lives are changing. The memories made in high school are quickly overwhelmed by new people and new experiences. This can only be good, considering the friendships that are meant to last will without struggle and the new people you meet will be more like you than you could have ever imagined. You will lose some, but you will gain the best friends you will ever have.

They didn't tell me how much I would need my parents.

Mom had me text her every morning just to make sure I survived another night three hours from home. It used to drive me insane, but I still talk to her every day two years running. Two years ago, talking was more like arguing. I would have never told them this then, but you can bet I've learned just how much I need my parents. Something is going to go wrong and, like it or not, you will not know how to fix it. You're going to spend all of your money on Chipotle and need some support. You're going to be heartbroken and need someone to listen. You're going to be sick and need word for word instructions on how to get it together. You're going to have a mid semester crisis, I'm talking questionable morals, and someone is going to have to help you snap out of it. Your relationship with your parents will mature in ways you never thought possible. They (almost) become your friends. Oh, we can't forget how valuable a home cooked meal becomes. There aren't enough Chic-Fil-A nuggets in the world to keep me from missing my parent's cooking.

They didn't tell me how to manage my freedom.

Freedom can mean many things in this context. You have the freedom to leave whenever and come back whenever. You have to learn very quickly when to do what, considering your high school teachers weren't kidding when they warned us about our professors not accepting late work. No one tells you exactly how to manage all of this new freedom, but you'll learn from trial and error. You'll try not studying for a test or waiting to type an essay the day it's due and barely make the deadline. It may take a month or two to get the hang of your meal plan, but after making $1.75 last two weeks, you'll learn to keep your eye out for free food whenever possible. Becoming an adult is not a quick process for all. Figuring out how to prioritize is a lesson in itself. You'd think we would have learned most of our lessons in the eighteen years we spent at home. Not even close.

They didn't tell me how expensive parking tickets were.

Let's be honest, parking tickets were sent from Satan himself. Do campus police seriously have nothing better to do than to look for cars to ticket? WHAT ABOUT THE CLOWNS?! Roam campus for them instead. Driving to class is nearly impossible and you'll probably park on the opposite side of campus once you find a spot anyways. Nothing can ruin your day quicker than a parking ticket can. I could probably pay a month's rent with the number of parking tickets I've received. For the love, campus police, give us a break!

They didn't tell me how hard moving back would be after freshman year.

I will never forget the first summer back home. A curfew? Asking to go places? How did we ever live like this? You finally learn how to manage your priorities and then you basically go backwards. You get the "really?" look when you ask to go somewhere two nights in a row. You get the "you're never home" speech. It's so exciting to go home to share your stories with old friends, but you forget what it was like to follow someone else's rules.This very well could be the most frustrating summer, but it's a blessing in disguise. I still have not accepted the fact that, if everything goes as planned, I will never live with my parents again. I might not ever accept it, honestly.

They didn't tell me how much I would grow.

Leaving high school, I was very proud of what I had accomplished and done. I considered myself a grown up before my hat left my hand at graduation. I didn't know how much was out there. It amazes me every day how different my life is now because of going to school three hours from home. This university has expanded my horizons in so many ways, and I will be forever thankful. They don't tell you how great it feels to look back on who you were and realize you have finally found yourself. Take advantage of every opportunity presented to you during your college years. If you have nothing to do, you're doing it wrong.