Going to college is a huge step in any adolescent’s life. Suddenly your life is flooded with responsibilities that you were never prepared for. Yes, your mother DID teach you general life skills like laundry, but you weren't paying attention. When I was young I couldn’t wait to be like my older siblings and parents. Their lives seemed so exciting and full. I wanted to grow up, I wanted everything to be just like those cheesy sitcoms. I thought that my life would suddenly be so easy, that there would be no problems, and that I would be completely free. When I moved away from home, I quickly realized that those sitcoms aren’t realistic, and that I was simply not prepared for what was in front of me.

You had an over glamorized view of adulthood.

Growing up, I always yearned to grow up, it seemed that adulthood meant nothing but freedom and fun. No one is around to tell you no. You are left completely to your own devices and to make your own decisions. It turns out, all that responsibility that seemed so appealing, slaps you in the face. As you struggle to just keep your head above water, you realize that this is what you had spent your youth wishing for. My idea of a perfect day has transformed from hanging out with friends, to going grocery shopping and doing laundry.

The thing about college is that every aspect of your life is suddenly flipped upside down. Everything that you learned at home over the past 18 years doesn’t apply anymore. You’ve never really run your own life before, and you don’t know how to.

You miss home...A lot.

I remember when I left home, I was moving across the country, to a place I’d never even heard of, and I was thrilled. I was leaving the home I’d grown up in, and the people who had always surrounded me. It was a fresh new start and a new beginning, I was confident that I wouldn't miss home. But I did. A lot. I probably talk to my mom more now, than I did when I lived at home. I miss my cats, my family, my house, my bed, my friends, and how familiar everything is.

It’s easy to spend money when it’s your parents spending it. I didn’t really understand that everything costs money when I moved away. Money and finances were never something that I worried about, and they were kind of a foreign concept. I realized I was poor when I lost my meal card, and had to survive off of ramen for two weeks. What do you mean I can’t just buy everything I could ever want and live completely carefree? It’s a difficult lesson to learn. And it was also a pretty heartbreaking lesson to learn.

It is totally worth it.

No matter how hard it can be, it’s a necessary process. And all that freedom really does bring you new exciting experiences. It’s one of the most exciting times of your life everything is so new. The moments you weren't prepared for, strengthen you. Stress and doubt are the key to adulthood. You accept that your life has changed, and that some days doing laundry is most exciting thing you could do.