Here is the little secret that nobody really lets you in on: for the first 18 years of your life, you are generally in a constant state of separation by age. Sure, you may have a couple of old family friends in the grades above you growing up or an older sibling whose friends acknowledge you in the halls, but until you get to college, you are surrounded by people the same age as you, and as a general rule, people stick to to being with the people in their own grade. Once you get to college, however, those rules no longer really apply. Every Greek organization, every club that you join and every activity you are involved in all have one thing in common, and that is the fact that there is a mix of people from every year and many ages all united around one idea.

Clearly, I have been super lucky in making incredible friends, but there is something unique about the friendships you forge with the people that are just a couple of years older than you. They are the mentors, the teachers of life lessons, and the companions that can tell you all about life in the real world, because they have to go into it a little sooner than you do. In fact, as it turns out having a friend in the senior class is one of the best things you can hope for, and here are a few reasons why.

1) For some reason, any advice coming from someone with a few more years of life experience just sounds a whole lot more credible.

2) Chances are that they have already done all of the stupid crap you need help doing, so they can help you be stupid in a better way.

3) You get automatic cool points when the older kids hang out with you.

4) Not all of us were lucky enough to get a big brother or sister, but this way, we get to choose our own and skip the 17 years of tattling to our mothers.

5) They can introduce you to all of the movies and pop culture you just barely missed out on.

6) If you are best friends with someone who has already been through it, chances are they can help you through it, too.

7) You always have someone to purchase non-H2O type of beverages for you.

8) When your best friend is just a couple of years older than you, chances are they have already gone through all of the petty drama and are just looking for real friends who they can love in a real way.

9) You will ALWAYS have a role model to look up to.