Here you are, in the prime of your life. Since the first time you visited the Big Apple, you were transfixed with it. You knew that this was where you were made to end up -- one way or another. Flash-forward a decade or so and now you're starting your first semester at college in New York! You're all moved in and ready to take on the city, but little did you know there's much more to being a college kid in NYC than you ever imagined. Here are 36 things that you definitely understand if you're a wide-eyed scholar living life in the 212.

1. You're probably running away from your problems in some shape or form.

2. You've become good friends with the employees at your nearest Duane Reade.

3. You own a miniature cactus.

4. You have considered taking your heels off and going barefoot in the streets of New York. More than once.

Expectation:

Reality:

5. You snort at the idea of fraternities and sororities but secretly sometimes wish you could pledge.

6. You've developed sidewalk rage (and are aware how hypocritical it is, considering you've only recently reformed your walking speed).

7. You've attempted a Tinder date but it never happened because he lives in a different borough.

8. You miss your dog way more than a normal college student does because every day the walk to class looks like this:

9. You get catcalled by construction workers two to three times a week on your way to class.

10. A good percentage of the contacts in your phone are club promoters.

11. You spend all of your money on Seamless orders.

12. Or Insomnia Cookies orders.

13. You know the pain of being the only one in your group of friends who needs to refill her MetroCard.

14. You've gotten used to having to sleep through the sound of huge trucks honking their horns.

15. And construction.

16. And drunk people screaming.

17. And especially sirens.

18. If your professor is late, nine times out of 10 it's because of a subway issue.

19. You hate Times Square just for the sake of saying you hate Times Square.

20. All of your friends are models, business moguls, dancers, actors, singers, self-made entrepreneurs, children of famous people, or all of the above combined.

21. You almost always feel like the Michelle Williams of your squad when you go out with your hot friends.

22. "He's so cute." "Well, he's gay."

23. "He's so cute." "Well, he's straight, but he has a girlfriend of (insert obscene number) years."

24. You have the one pair of heels that you always wear to go out because they feel the least like death.

25. You tell all of your friends to come visit you, but they never do.

26. The people in your 8 a.m. are all dressed like this:

I mean, really?

27. The closest thing you have to "day drinks" is sitting in your room and drinking cheap wine with your roommate.

28. If you don't go to NYU, you probably wanted to before you chose your school (and now you talk trash about NYU kids).

29. You have no sense of hometown pride because you've felt like a New Yorker since the day you were born.

30. If you're conservative in any way, you probably get a lot of shit for it.

31. You've gone through several identity crises.

32. You have applied to an Urban Outfitters.

33. You have no sense of school spirit, but you think your borough is the best.

Although, we all know which one is actually the best.

34. You have abandoned all sympathies for homeless people.

35. You have had days when you wanted to quit and move to Kansas and have seven children and a Border Collie and churn butter on your days off from being a general store owner.

36. But then you remember that you moved here for a reason, and there's really no place you'd rather experience college.