College is an incredible learning experience. From your your first 8 a.m. lecture to communal bathrooms and finishing a paper at 4 a.m., you come to realize life is a lot different when you're on your own. You learn an incredible amount about life in your first month of independent living. Here are just a few things you'll come to realize after 30 days of college:

1. The 'Freshman 15' is VERY REAL.

No matter how hard you try to avoid it, the freshman fifteen is inevitable. Between the 24/7 pizza available at the dining hall and the midnight snacking on ramen and mac and cheese, it's almost impossible to avoid putting on some weight. It's even truer if you choose to party, because all that alcohol equates to a few extra pounds around the midriff. Don't get too worked up about the extra weight, though, because everyone puts on a little chub initially.

You're still a beautiful human being with so much to offer the world.

2. Communal living is harder than it sounds.

I love my floor mates. Really, I do. They are some of the most interesting, welcoming, humorous people I've ever met. We've made so many great memories together already. But being friends with the people you live with, and actually living with them, are two VERY different concepts. If you're lucky enough to go to a school with Jack-and-Jill or suite-style living, you're one of the lucky few that only has to share a bathroom with a few other people that you probably know very well. For the rest of us, communal bathrooms are all the rage, and I mean rage.

It's initially very uncomfortable to shower with more than one person in the room, and in flip-flops nonetheless, but you adjust (mostly because you have to — unless you choose to opt out of personal hygiene). Leaving food in the sinks is gross, but people certainly do it. And even though we're in college, people still refuse to flush the toilets.

You'll find that, while you love the people living three doors down, you hate that they don't respect quiet hours, especially when you have that huge Biology exam the next morning. People are messy. People are loud. People have their weird quirks and habits, but somehow you learn to love them. Or tolerate them, it's really up to you.

3. No one respects the rules of the laundry room.

This ties back in with communal living, but on a much more intense level. There are a limited number of washers and dryers no matter what school you go to. If you decide to do your laundry and are lucky enough to find an open machine, DON'T FORGET THAT YOUR CLOTHES ARE THERE! There's nothing more infuriating than going to the laundry room when you're down to your last t-shirt and pair of jeans and finding that every machine has finished its cycle but still has a full load of clothes inside. It's 2015, people, set a timer on your phone if you're going to leave the laundry room and go get them when the timer goes off. The laundry room is absolutely infuriating, and there's no way to avoid it.

4. Procrastination is your worst enemy.

Let's face it: we all procrastinate. For many, this is the first time the 'education' part of school doesn't follow the typical 8 A.M. to 3 P.M. format, leaving college kids with more free time than they know what to do with. It's so easy to get wrapped up in Netflix, Hulu, Social Media, partying, and being with friends that we forget why we're actually at college: to learn. You're paying loads of money for this education, which most of us only realize after we bomb the first exam. That first failure is a major wake-up call for most, as we generally spend much more time studying after that dreadful day.

5. GO TO CLASS

It sounds like this would be pretty obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people skip class purely because they can. You realize you either love it or hate it, but class is a necessary part of college (Hint: you're paying for this too, you better go!). Besides, class really isn't that bad and you always have your extracurriculars to look forward to...and all your homework.

6. You can sleep just about anytime and anywhere... except class.

You could probably argue that the last portion of the above statement is a lie. You certainly could sleep in class, but your professors (and most other people you talk with) will advise against that. College messes with your sleep schedule in ways you didn't know it could be messed with, and pretty soon you realize you can sleep wherever and whenever you want. Of course, sleeping in your own bed is usually your best bet, but the hallway floor is never a terrible second option if push comes to shove.

7. Everyone gets sick, including you.

With a new environment comes lots of new things: people, locations, and most prominently germs. All those fun, new people bring millions of germs and bacteria with them from all over the globe, and sooner or later you catch the 'Freshman Ick': a nasty combination of the stomach virus, seasonal cold, fever, aching, and any other ailment that can afflict your body. it's absolutely horrible, and much like the terror of the laundry room, completely unavoidable.

8. We're all basically 5 years old.

We're college kids: we laugh at things that aren't funny, we like when you share your snacks with us, we cry spontaneously, and all we really want is a glass of milk and a warm cookie. Basically, we're toddlers, and it's the greatest thing ever. Napping is 100% acceptable, apple sauce in a squeeze tube is the perfect snack, and cuddling with your teddy bear when you miss your mom is completely normal. There's only so much longer we can still be kids, so we're soaking it up before we have to enter the 'real world'. It's amazing.

9. We all miss home.

So many college students deny missing home. They claim college life is far superior to their menial home existences and therefore never want to leave. College is wonderful and certainly different than life at home, but at some point you find yourself missing your own bed, your best friend from high school, and the smell of your mom's fresh-baked apple pie. Then you cry about it, you eat your feelings in food, and realize college is still incredible, so you get over it.

10. College is one of the best experiences of your life.

Even though it's only been a month, you realize college really is as incredible as everyone makes it sound. You start referring to your school as 'home' and your friends as your second family. You're a pro at getting around campus and aren't afraid to brag about how awesome your college life is on social media. Sure, some days are hard, but those days are few and far between, and you've learned that all the hard work is worth it, because you absolutely love college.