Going to college as a freshman is a new experience for every single fresh out of high school kid on campus. But if you haven't already realized, through a series of self reflective moments and emotional nights, college isn't just college. There is a lot more more good, bad, exciting, sad, or _____ things and changes that create your college experience experience before you're even on campus.

1. Those people who were your best friends in highschool will not be your best friends in college.

Now, this isn't true for every single person. But for many, it is. Those best friends aren't bad people. They aren't malicious or attempting to hurt you by leaving you. This is just simply how life goes (trust me I would know). And this only prepares you and your heart for a new experience and a need opportunity to invest in different relationships and friendships. Your high school or childhood best friend may still keep in touch ever everynow and then, but college is a place of growth, and the end of relationship might feel like a dead end road, but a new road is open & it's probably the main road on campus. I love my friends from my childhood and high school years so so much, and I always will. It may hurt that the friendships did not work out in the way I desired, but I reached an understanding that it's all okay and there are better days coming, and I could not be more content.

2. Number one might be true, but one or two of those friends might just stick around. Hold on tight to them.

I spent the summer after highschool with 3 people pretty much. Most of my other “friends" had summer plans, we grew apart, or it kinda just got awkward after graduation. Those 3 friends changed my life as I know it. I finally understood that it was okay to be sad about leaving for college because I had a legitimate reason to be sad- I would soon leave people that I genuinely enjoyed. They showed me what true friendship is, and while I'm not sure how long those friendships will last, I now have an understanding of the type of relationships I desire to create throughout my whole life, especially in college. Allow yourself to cling to important, healthy relationships, and value the people in your life that mean the most to you. I valued three friends rather than picking and choosing friends from high school to spend time with, and I am so grateful for my own early understanding of which friends truly valued me as well. If you allow yourself to examine and prioritize your friendships, those special, long-lasting relationships will be even more dear to you.

3. We all think that drama magically disappears the morning after graduation, but the sad truth is that it does not. You can handle it differently, or even just avoid it.

Almost every girl that I met before move in day expressed that they simply wanted a fresh start and to put high school drama behind them. Don't we all desire that? I think so. But honestly, if you don't genuinely (like from the bottom of your heart GENUINELY) feel this way, you'll get sucked back into the petty bubble of adolescence that holds dominion over most people called “students." Getting caught in drama is a part of life, but handling that situation with grace and forgiveness is much more important than any opinion a person may have toward you. Moving onto a college campus is a huge atmosphere 180. Of course drama is present always, but remember that you're on the verge of adulthood. Give yourself the time and space to focus on bettering yourself, allow yourself to find the right friends, and do not lose sight of your own values.

4. Your parents are your best friends.

5. Not many people will truly understand you. You don't even truly understand yourself.

College is the time during life when we are called to be responsible, intelligent, wise, and many other things. But it is also the time that we get to create ourselves. The amount that I've grown in the past three months pale in comparison to how much I will grow in the years that I'm in college. We each go through stages of growth without realizing it. It's okay to feel lost, or to want to give up on stressful things. It's NOT okay to actually give up. Each person is different. There's different struggles that we all go through, which allows us to cling to each other and provide motivation and encouragement. Everyone that you meet for the rest of your life will be uncertain about something. That's growth, and it is good. Do not allow uncertainty to drag you down.