Freshman year of college; how exciting! Whether you’re a senior in high school eagerly awaiting move-in day or you're someone who’s already been through their freshman year in college, I think everyone can benefit from knowing a few things they don’t tell you about your first year away from home.

I, like many others, was extremely excited to move away from home and experience school in a completely different environment. However, I was also nervous and worried about many of the small things that would be different than the last 18 years spent in the same place.

The first piece of advice I can give is that being nervous is totally acceptable, and more than normal. Nervousness is a sign that you care about what is about to happen, and that you have the totally natural feeling of worrying about starting over in a completely different environment.

Whether you’re an hour or 18 hours away from home, college is not a breeze to get adjusted to. Not having the same friends around the corner from you anymore isn’t easy and shouldn’t be thought of as such.

Secondly, they don’t tell you that you won’t always be smiling and having the time of your life. That’s not to say I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed college because I have. However, especially in the beginning of your first semester, it’ll be a weird feeling to not have your routine laid out for you, and it’ll be a huge adjustment to having to figure out your plans as they’re happening, not hours before.

Sometimes, that might mean just sitting outside for a couple minutes to decide what you should do next. And while for many people that seems incredible and newfound freedom is all they want, for me, it wasn’t the easiest to not be able to plan my life out by the week.

Sometimes I just wanted to go back to the last four years of my life when I woke up at the same time every single day, went to the same classes all year, and saw the same people every single day. And I know, that lifestyle seems monotonous and boring, and I know that if I had gone back, I would have truly missed college.

However, freshman year is this weird time of your life where you don’t yet know who your friend group is, who you’ll end up keeping in touch with throughout the years, and how to figure out what you really want to do with your life.

I promise, there will be days where you miss your high school life. I guarantee you’ll miss those after-school clubs, hanging out with friends at the mall on the weekends and then crashing in your bed after, getting to bed at a reasonable hour (trust me, that doesn’t happen your freshman year), and not having to worry about going out to grab each meal.

But, don’t let these things scare you, because freshman year is also incredibly rewarding, and you’ll end up doing things you never thought you’d do in high school. You’ll meet so many wonderful people, create lifelong memories, and start to find your group. It isn’t the smoothest ride, but it’s a wonderful ride to go on.