I don't know if anyone else could say the same about their siblings, but my brother, Ryan, is my best friend. He is two years older than me and ever since I can remember, we've been so close. Just a few weeks ago, he graduated from Temple University. As happy and proud I was of him, I was also pretty upset. For two years, I was lucky enough to attend the same college as my brother and best friend. My freshman year I was not the biggest fan of Temple or even college in general. However, having my brother there made it so much better. Now that he won't be a 15-minute walk through campus from me, there will definitely be something missing at Temple. Below is a list of reasons why I was so thankful to have my brother on the same campus as me.

1. You have your little piece of home with you even when you're not home.

Whenever I was feeling super homesick, I knew Ryan was a quick text message away. I could always count on last-minute dinner plans at the gross dining hall. Although nothing could beat homemade meals in our house with our family, this was still a nice, homey feeling.

2. Your sibling's roommates/friends become your friends.

My brother's five roommates have officially become like my older brothers. Whenever I walk into his apartment I'm greeted with a "Hey Jackie!" and a hug from them. What's better than having one older brother on campus? Having a whole house of them.

3. They'll always let you tag along to their super cool upperclassmen parties.

I could always count on getting that invite to almost anything my brother was doing. He always thought to include me and would let me bring whomever I wanted. After becoming friends with his friends too, I was also welcomed by them and would show them how I'm even better than my brother.

4. They know more about the school than you do.

Since my brother had already been attending Temple before me, when it came time for me to enroll in classes and whatnot, he was there to help. He showed me how to add and drop classes, and even the blessing of ratemyprofessor.com and all you can learn from that. Your sibling can also help you with what dining hall is going to give you food poisoning or what pizza places are opened the latest for a quick bite to eat at 2 am.

5. You are never alone and always have a best friend.

I am very serious when I say I do not know what I'll do without my brother on campus anymore. He was always that person I knew I could fall back on. Whether it was a Wednesday night movie night, watching a Mets game, or partying all weekend together, we always had an amazing time together. I was always so excited to meet his friends and say, "I'm Ryan's little sister." Those words always helped me to feel accepted.

Congratulations to my brother and best friend on graduating college! I'm lucky as anything that I got to be there with you.