The other day on a much-needed weekend visit home before the end of the semester, my mom turned to me and asked if my first year at college was what I expected it to be. At first, I didn't know how to answer. While the reality is that it's only been about eight months, it feels like forever ago when I was counting down the days until move-in, unsure but excited about the new chapter in my life to come. It took me a minute to remember what I expected back then, and how it compared to now. And let me tell you, once I jogged my memory, the expectation versus reality was SO very different.

Before heading off to school, I read so many articles telling me what to expect from my experience and how to 'survive' it. From this, and from the stories people told me, I expected to jump into college and have the time of my life. I thought I'd somehow find great friends right off the bat, spend hours studying and doing homework weekly, spend my weekends at some kind of event having the time of my life. Let me cut to the chase: none of that happened.

While things really didn't end up in the way I thought they would, these past months have taught me SO much. While my expectations seem great and all, I'd argue that the reality and the following lessons I've taken from it are so much more important.

1. What worked in high school, will probably work in college, too... sometimes.

I recall being terrified that college classes would be so insanely different from high school that it'd take me a while to adjust, and that I'd struggle in the meantime. Turns out, that wasn't true. If you were like me in high school and had the privilege of taking AP and honors courses, you're going to be just fine. I still have yet to break my procrastination habits and it has yet to really get in my way of succeeding. I've learned that putting in your best efforts where it counts is what gets those good grades, and it doesn't have to be a rigorous homework schedule that gets you there.

2. Limits are meant to be tested, so go out and test them.

Yes, college is for going to class and getting that degree. But, let's be real--life is more fun when you're making stupid decisions. There are plenty of ways to push yourself out of your comfort zone and do things you'd never thought you'd do, while still being safe and not ruining your whole life. I know now that it is better to try something and hate it than to regret not having the experience at all.

3. Friendships change, and they do it frequently. That's OK.

Be it friends from home or people you meet at school, friendships are never going to remain the same. As people grow, so do their relationships with others and that's completely fine! Growing apart from someone you've known for years is often unavoidable and even though it sucks, it doesn't have to be a bad thing. Sometimes people need each other for certain parts of their lives and not for others. Don't stress about it too much, or else you're always going to be a nervous wreck.

4. It IS possible to be social, get sleep, and still do great in school.

People will tell you time and time again that this isn't going to happen. PROVE. THEM. WRONG. Life itself is a balancing act, so why can't college be? There are ways to spend time with your friends, study for that big exam, and still get a good night of sleep. The real challenge is finding a method that works for you. That may take a while, but it'll happen.

5. Learning is more than just what's inside the classroom, so don't let classes keep you from your life.

Yes, you are paying hundreds of dollars for every class listed on your schedule and skipping one of them may feel like money pouring down the drain. At least, that's how I felt (and still occasionally feel). But I've come to realize that, sometimes, it's OK to miss. Not everything you will gain from college will be textbook knowledge — in fact, a lot of it is stuff you learn OUTSIDE of the classroom. Be it understanding how to be more empathetic or how to handle setbacks, the kind of stuff a professor can't teach you is just as important as the things they can. If you have to skip a class, understand the consequences and just do it if you think you can handle it because, a lot of the time, the experience you do it for is worth it.

6. The world is a much bigger place than it seems. Never forget that.

One major thing no one told college would teach me is the concept of perspective. I thought I understood my place in the world before, but now, I know that I'm still naive in so many ways. There is a vast amount of things for me to learn yet. More, I have come to understand just how incredibly privileged I am. After meeting so many people who have led lives so different from mine, I've come to truly appreciate the life I've been blessed with. There are many people in the world who don't get to have an education like I do, or be healthy like I am. It's been humbling to know that I've taken so many things for granted, and I definitely didn't expect to learn this, but I'm thankful that I have.

7. It's OK to look at the world in a different way than what you're used to.

One invariable thing about everyone's college experience is that you are going to change as a person. People and events will come into your life that will make you see things differently. I've also learned not to be afraid of changing. It's perfectly okay to look at things differently than you once did because it's a part of life and a part of growing up.

8. ALWAYS expect the unexpected.

The majority of life is out of our hands. We often don't get to choose what happens to us, and things very rarely work out the way you expect them to. I may want and think things will go one way, but they end up the other; I can't count the number of times this has happened to me over the past months. College, if anything, has shown me how to roll with the punches of life, and I am the better for it.