1. You WILL be late to class at some point

I was so sure that I would always be on time to class, even if that meant waking up a little earlier but no, I wasn't prepared for the unexpected and mysterious Thursday morning traffic. I genuinely don't know why but my usual one hour commute becomes almost three hours on Thursday morning. FYI: I missed my 10 am discussion a total of 4 times that quarter.

2. You have to reach out to friends and make plans

Commuting can be tiring. My first quarter of commuting, I just felt so drained that I didn't feel like hanging out with anyone and to make things worse, I had this fear of just bothering people to hang out with me (yeah it's dumb I know). I had to get over that and reach out plus I had some pretty amazing friends who reached out first and I'm so grateful for them. There's just no way you will keep connected with friends unless you reach out and make plans.

3. Your schedule will be a problem sometimes

Getting a job or even hanging out with friends is just a little harder because of your schedule. It's not only when you have a class or are on campus that you have to think about but also how long it'll take you to actually get there. But with a little patience and organization, it'll work out.

4. The friends who make the time to hang out with you, are the real ones

I am so happy and grateful for the amazing friendships that I have in my life right now. Genuinely it makes me so grateful to have people who are willing to go out of their way or deal with my hectic schedule to hang out. Ya'll are the real ones!!

5. Some days you'll really dread the commute and that's ok

There have been days (shoutout to midterm and finals season), where everything just piles up and I really wonder if this was the best option. I mean is class really that important when I can just go back to sleep?

6. Most of your money will go to food

I haven't mastered the art of meal prep and $12 meals on campus really add up after a while so budgeting is my best friend.

7. Sometimes you won't dress according to the weather and you'll hate it but you'll survive

Usually, I leave my house to come to campus early in the morning and the thing is, in the morning it's real cold. So there's just been times where I'm wearing a snow jacket in the morning and the sun will literally be burning at 100 degrees once I get on campus. These aren't my finest moments. I need to learn to layer.

8. Sometimes you'll feel like you aren't getting the full college experience

I've got to be honest, sometimes I'll see people with their roommates hanging out or going out together or I'll see people at club meetings and I'll feel a little left out from that experience, and that's ok. When that happens I remember the amazing community and friends I have on campus and just in my life. My college experience is different but I wouldn't want it any other way.