College is a new and exciting chapter in every high school senior's life. You get to pursue an education for the career you want while also exploring your interests. A lot of students choose to stay fairly close, but not too far, away from home, and then there are the brave souls who fly back and forth from home to their university every single break. While it's an amazing experience, there are a lot of hard truths about living a long distance away.

1. It will be hard at first

I was a wreck by the end of my first week of classes freshman year. The prospect of not going home for the next three months, going that entire time without seeing any of my family or friends didn't hit me until all of my roommates went home for Labor Day weekend, leaving me the only one in our hall still there with no other friends on campus yet. That was when the homesickness hit hard, and it took a while for me to adjust before I felt comfortable.

2.  You will get homesick

Whether you're two hours or eight hours away, most college freshmen face homesickness at some point in the semester, but that's okay. Do your best to stay busy and forget about that nagging feeling inside your chest. It's hard, but it takes time to adjust. Living far away from home in a new place is a challenge. You can't go home on the weekends whenever you want like others can and it sucks sometimes, but just push through it.

3. Traveling home can be a headache

Whether it's long flights with long layovers halfway across the country or having to transfer buses three times for a total 11-hour drive home can be a royal headache, especially when your bus runs late and you miss your transfer, or your flight gets canceled. Get ready for long drives and mishaps along the way, you'll learn to navigate these kinds of situations quickly.

4. You'll have to be more independent

When you're so far away, you can't go home for a doctor's appointment your parents scheduled for you, can't ask them to bring up all the stuff you forgot to pack, and will have to rely on yourself for any problems that range from your health, your car to your own bills, and traveling by yourself. Make sure you know important things like your social security number, medical insurance and, bank information because now you're the adult.

5. You’ll question your college choice

When it's been a rough week and you wish you had your mom there for comfort, you'll secretly wonder if the decision to go to this school was really the best option. I know I questioned whether Ohio University was right for me all the time until I really adjusted and beat the homesickness. But don't lose hope, those three months until Thanksgiving will fly by and before you know it, you'll be on route home.

Choosing to go to college 511 miles away from home was extremely difficult, but it also helped me grow as a person and really get involved on campus in order to stay busy. Now, I'm in five student organizations and a double major, and I've been given so many great opportunities and amazing friends through them for which I will be forever grateful. Push through those bad days and you'll come out stronger than you thought you were. There is so much to see in this world, and there is no better way to explore it than moving to a new state or city for a new journey in life.