College is a hard transition but the most difficult part of the whole process has to be leaving your best friends behind. I was fortunate enough to get accepted into a school that was out of state and although I was excited, I was scared. Back at home, your friends are your world and it never hits you that it's all temporary. I was used to a decently-sized school of about 2,000 kids where it felt like you knew everyone, but being thrown into a pool of 12,000 people was a little more alarming. Although it's a "small" school it was a pretty big transition.

Back at home, the school systems didn't give you schools to really choose from (besides elementary school) so you were with the same people throughout all of your years of schooling. Everyone grew up together and I think this is why my friends and I have such a close bond. Change is scary, especially if you're not used to it. Life is blocked out for you at home, where it's safe.

Before school started I looked into my roommate situation by getting in contact with the class Facebook page. This is where I ended up finding my roommate, who I can honestly say is my best friend and made my transition into college a seamless one. Her and I get along so well and sometimes it's scary how alike we are. If I hadn't met my roommate, I honestly don't know how college would've gone for me. Without her, college would be so different.

Since my roommate lives fairly local, a lot of her peers ended up at UW-Whitewater, including some of her very best friends. This gave me a solid friend base straight away. Marching Band also helped with this because you can bond over similar interests. I think all of the friends that I've made on my own in college are in marching band. But as a freshman in college it's easy to find friends because you're all in the same situation: fresh out of high school and in a new environment with not a whole lot of friends. It's the perfect excuse to go out and socialize because you never know where your new best friend will be found.

I think the hardest thing about being the only person from your high school in college is just being able to talk about things casually; your friends in college will need you to explain each situation and a description of the people you talk about. You miss talking smack about your own school, about what teachers/people you miss the most, about the theatre/music productions,or even about that one time you embarrassed the crap out of yourself at a school-wide assembly. It's like being apart of an inside joke except you're the only one that gets it. You miss Prom and Homecoming Dances, where you could wear short fru-fru dresses with way too many sequins without thinking you look ridiculous. It's nostalgic and doing it in college isn't the same. It's weird walking around campus with the kids from the area. Anywhere they walk, they always run into someone they went to high school with. It's crazy how many people they know that still go to school with them.

The best part about going to school without people from high school is just getting away from high school. As much as I hate saying it, going to college is about making new memories, not being stuck in high school. It's so relaxing to start anew, to get away from all the drama of the past, and just meeting you new people. At times I do miss high school, but my time there was up and I needed a change. I left my legacy. Yes, I miss my friends still in high school, I miss my high school band director, I miss cheering for the football team, and I miss cheering on the blueberry-shaped ball-of-fire we had as a mascot. Most of all, I miss my best friends that went to college. As much as I miss them, it makes the times we see each other that much more special. Distance challenges relationships, but it strengthens them more than anything.

All in all, going to school away from home/high school/friends/etc is not all bad. I've met new friends at college that I have become so close with in such a short amount of time. Since winter break is coming up, I get to go home to see all of my friends that will be home for the holidays and I'm excited to catch up. Although the college transition may not be easy, it will for sure pay off. It's time to move on from high school and to get a new, fresh start in a new situation (even if you didn't go away to school). It makes the time back at home with the original family & friend routines all the better.