I remember when I was entering 9^th grade, the one thing I was the most excited for was to be one step closer to college. Sure, high school had sports teams, homecoming, prom, and so many more exciting attributes, but it seemed like with each school year I completed, my excitement to graduate and finally move to college escalated more and more. I certainly wasn’t alone in thinking like this. Between talking about boys and who was mad at who, conversations in high school seemed to always turn toward college. One day in my senior year, those basic conversations took a serious turn. How would life be different in college? I remember having not even thought about this before. All I could think about was how great it would be. I would have freedom, get to live on my own, meet new friends, and have a great time.

College is an amazing time, full of growth, learning and excitement. There is no other time in your life where you will be exposed to so many different experiences that are all right within your reach. Before you get to college and after you leave college, you realize you’ll probably never have as diverse an experience as you did in college. However, just like any experience, it has its ups and downs. It's hard to adjust to being away from home and fending for yourself. Throughout college, you will probably face a lot of harsh realities. Here are the five I've experienced so far:

1. You will lose contact with a lot of your hometown friends.

This is sad, but true. Your group of friends you basically grew up with will eventually all move to different schools and lose touch. The girl or guy you used to talk to everyday day go weeks without reaching out to you. Honestly, the first few times this happens, it really sucks. Because college is such a huge time of personal growth, it's not uncommon to grow in separate ways than your hometown friends. Going home will become harder, because of the sheer fact that you have essentially discarded your hometown life in some shape or form and started anew at your university. Granted, some self-claimed "forever friends" breeze over this stage with grace and stay friends, but others struggle to balance college life with constantly checking in with people from home. Despite this, you will undoubtedly meet so many more new, diverse and interesting friends that will really be lifelong friends.

2. Life is not always a party.

Something (almost) every high schooler looks forward to is the "legendary" parties in college. This is no doubt due to the way movies depict college students -- always partying. Being social and going out is definitely a part of the college life, but many people think that college is all about partying. Reality hits when you wake up, still drunk, not knowing where you are, and you're 10 minutes late to class. Partying can be done in moderation and safely, but can be detrimental. Missing class because of a hangover may be excusable the first time, but it will eventually catch up to you. It will only lead to slacking on assignments and dropping your grades. And don't forget those pesky Thanksgiving dinner conversations where your parents pry on why all your midterm grades were C's.

3. The drama doesn't stop after high school.

Out of all of the harsh lessons I have learned, this one hits closest to home. I remember saying in high school that I was so excited to leave the drama behind. But little did I know that while you leave your old problems in the past, new ones will always be awaiting you. Drama, fights and conflict exist everywhere in the world and there is no exception for college. With so many people interacting so closely, it's hard to avoid. My first taste of college drama involved my first roommate. While it varies by situation, college drama can be worse or better. On one hand you have experiences like sororities, roommates, clubs and teams. When there are so many people involved in one thing, it's unlikely to picture the perfect situation with no conflict. On the other hand, we are more mature in college and a lot of us (hopefully) have a better sense on how to solve problems. When in doubt, taking a step back and calling your mom or dad always helps.

4. You will have at least one mental breakdown (a semester).

It's no secret that college life is stressful. Schoolwork has taken on a whole new meaning. I can't help but roll my eyes whenever I hear people say that the high school workload is rough, because boy, do they have a surprise coming for them. Nothing beats having to read 40 pages, write a 10-page paper, do a group project, and take two tests -- all in one day. Scheduling and planning are two of the hardest things in college, right before time management. It's hard to stay inside on a Friday night, but when a 20-page paper is due on Monday, it has to be done. The first few weeks of each semester always seem like a breeze. You actually write in your planner, have a color coded calendar, and stick to the deadlines for your assignments. Not too long after that, things start going downhill. Motivation gets tossed to the wind, and once that's gone, good luck. At least one mental breakdown is likely to happen -- and that's not even counting finals week.

5. You have to be self-reliant.

Independence is one of the biggest things to look forward to in college, but it comes at a cost. Gone are the days of mom or dad doing your laundry, making your dinner, and cleaning up after you. The great thing about college is you get to choose what you do and when you do it, but it becomes an issue when the dirty laundry in your corner has been piling up for two weeks. Having to learn to work a washer and dryer, pay bills, cook dinner and remember to do all of your schoolwork is A LOT of responsibility and it is super overwhelming. There are times I wish I could go back to the days where I lived at home and constantly had my dad around, but I would never be able to grow into a responsible adult if it wasn't for this experience.

It's no secret that with college comes a lot of responsibility, hard work and stress. But amidst all the hardship, don't forget that these are supposed to be the best four years of your life. Don't let the bad outweigh the good.