Do you know that saying "actions speak louder than words?" This statement is often very true, and I happen to believe that sometimes emojis can say a lot more than words, too.

In an age where communication via text is an everyday occurrence for many people (and, as I've found in college, is a great way to stay in touch with people from home), emojis can be the biggest lifesaver. Sometimes, when you just can't think of the right words to express how you feel, simply sending one of the hundreds of emojis available on smartphones can speak for you and say more than you could with words.

Here's a list of the emojis that I've discovered to be the most useful and relevant while communicating with people over text:

1. The "see no evil" monkey

This emoji has to be one of my favorites-- besides being super cute and fun, it represents, in my opinion, a multitude of emotions: "I'm so embarrassed," "lol," "I can't believe it," "I don't want to see or think about that," etc. The list goes on. I've realized that this simple emoji can represent many feelings and (depending on who I send it to) usually people understand exactly what this cute monkey is trying to say for me.

2. The "I'm laughing so hard that there are tears" face

Do you ever get tired of typing "hahaha" or "lol" and think they aren't expressive enough of how much you're actually laughing at what someone texted you? If so, this emoji is a simple way to show how much you're laughing without needing to type out 50 "haha"s and is quite effective in conveying an amused reaction.

3. The cute smiling "two hands" emoji

This is a more recently added emoji, and I couldn't have been happier when I saw it for the first time. Finally there was an emoji created that seemed to express "yay!" or "I'm so excited!" with two hands lifted. As someone who likes to talk with their hands, I've realized that this guy comes in handy when you can't communicate your full excitement in person. And sometimes I like to think that it is reaching out to give two high fives in congratulations to whomever I'm texting.

4. The "cat with heart eyes" emoji

Do you often want to express your love for something but realize that saying "I love that!" starts getting old? This cat might be your solution. While cats are one of my favorite animals, another reason why I particularly like this emoji is that without any romantic implications, this cute cat can express your profound love or excitement for something in the future without needing to type it all out.

5. The grimacing "yikes" face

We all experience those awkward or embarrassing moments when there truly are no words to express how we feel other than "yikes..." and this face (another one of my favorites) is the perfect emoji to convey that feeling of mortification.

6. The dance emoji

Who doesn't like dancing once in a while? I don't think there's ever a bad time to send this because oftentimes it can lighten the mood of a conversation and keep things fun.

7. The ghost "gasp" emoji

Did your friend just text you some very shocking news? You might literally be speechless, and as you find yourself at a lack of comprehensive words to type in response, this face [dramatically] says it all for you.

8. The winking face with its tongue out

This is probably one of my most frequently used emojis, as its a fun and easy way to communicate that you're just joking around with someone and it doesn't have the flirtatious connotation that the other wink face has.

9. The party popper

With birthdays, exciting events, and various achievements that are reached in life, there are so many things to celebrate. By sending a few of these colorful emojis at the end of (or in place of) a congratulations to someone or a birthday wish, you can enhance how happy and excited you are for them. The energy embedded in this emoji is simply too fun to not use once in a while.

10. The upside-down smiley

This might possibly be the most relevant emoji ever. It wasn't available until this past year, and I'm honestly not quite sure how I communicated effectively without it. There are so many "I have no idea what's going on" moments in life where things are so amusingly perplexing that there's simply no appropriate response but this face. Its nature depicts a "this was not what I expected to happen, but I have no control and now have no choice but to be upside-down" attitude that we all can relate to sometimes.

11. The classic happy face

This emoji can be sent in various situations, and you really can never go wrong with it-- just look at how happy it is! If you're looking for a random emoji to send someone, or need to desperately make amends and don't know what to say, this emoji is bound to be the solution and brighten someone's day.