It's only been one semester and we feel like we have already learned so much. No, I don't mean academically; I mean what we've learned simply as people. It's hard transitioning from the life we've known for 18 years but, it's also really exciting! In a few short months, we've already learned so much about ourselves and the people around us.

For starters, one of the most important topics we learn is that no one cares how we dress. In high school, it was always a big deal to have the perfect clothes or the perfect pair of riding boots but now, we travel the campus in sweats and over-sized shirts with our hair in a bun and we are damn pleased about it.

We have also learned how to live with a family of crazy people we've only just met. These people can become some of the most amazing characters you have ever met. They can be some of your biggest supporters now that you've moved away from home. Find those people that will always have your back at 3 a.m. on a school night because you're just way too stressed to sleep.

In the middle of being reminded that "You're an adult!" and "You have responsibilities now!" we can easily forget that these are supposed to be the best years of our lives. Obviously, we need to be aware of or responsibilities and we should always be keeping up with our grades, but I think some of us forget that we can have fun, too. On that note, we also learn that you don't need alcohol and drugs just have fun. Something I see now is that a lot more high school students seem to be partying at younger and younger ages and you wish you could tell them to stop. Parties aren't everything. Sure they're fun, but you should be able to have fun without the help of illegal substances.

One of the hardest things to learn that I found was how to be away from my parents and still eat every day and be one time for events or class. It's difficult to be away from our families and we think about them all the time. This becomes really evident when you miss a meeting because no one was there to remind to go or when you forget you have a test so you stay up all night with friends and don't study. It's a time for learning, and eventually we get there.

We've only been away for a few short months, but it feels like it's been years. We learn so much simply from being away from home and I will forever be grateful for my parents making sure I am able to experience college and campus living. We're not your babies anymore, but we will never stop loving you and home will always be home, but we also will find that college is our home away from home.