I left home on August 16, 2014. I came here last fall right out of high school and right out of my house. What did I know about living on my own? "Brush your teeth." "Shower every day." "If you sprinkle while you tinkle, be a sweetie, wipe the seatie." And that's about it. I didn't know how to work a washing machine, how to put air in my tires and I wasn't comfortable talking to strangers. I couldn't cook. Wait, I say that like I can cook now... I still can't cook, but I have learned how to do the other stuff, plus so much more.

College gives great life lessons, even if it it usually in a tough love kind of way. Here are a few of my most memorable life lessons learned since leaving home.

1. Mom isn't here to wake you up in the morning.

I had an alarm to go off at 5:30 a.m., but she would come in at 6 each morning to make sure I was awake. If I'm being 100 percent honest, Mom woke up every morning. Thanks G-Swizzle. But when I left home, I had to learn to pull myself out of bed at the first alarm. No more hitting snooze for an hour.

2. How to manage time (somewhat) wisely.

Without parents asking about homework, it's up to us to get it done. That was never a problem for me, but once I left home, I had to learn how to balance several different kinds of responsibilities: school, social club, church, relationships and personal time. And multitasking is not always the best option.

3. Your appearance isn't nearly as important as you thought.

College is full of people who wake up and put on a full face of makeup and wear dresses everyday. But college is also full of people who roll out of bed and walk straight to class. You look fine however you dress, and really, no one cares.

4. Your appearance is more important than you thought.

Interviews. If you're in college, and you haven't had one, you will. You have to learn how to look your best to impress future employers and certain authorities on campus. And when I couldn't turn to my mom for what to wear, I had to find friends who could help.

5. Lives go on.

Life at home doesn't just stop when you leave. Siblings get older and smarter and taller. As you are making a new life with new memories and stories, your family and friends are continuing theirs. It sucks to miss birthdays and big events, but it's just part of growing up.

6. You are you. Don't waste your energy trying to be someone else.

Though being The Great Eggplant was pretty cool to watch, it's exhausting to pretend to be someone you're not. Your family loved you for who you are, and people in your new stage of life will too if you give them the chance. If someone doesn't like you for who you are, then they weren't supposed to stay in your life anyway.

7. College is a time of homelessness and, at the same time, having multiple homes

Home is home. You come to college; college is strange. You go home; this isn't home, college is home. You get tired of school; I want to go home (home is home). You follow?

You start to realize that home is not a place, but a mindset you have when you are surrounded by people who love you and accept you for who you are. You feel like you don't have a home for a while, then you realize this principle, and you have many homes.

8. This is real life, and you have to make your own grown-up decisions.

"What do you want?" I have no idea.

After you leave home, you don't have Mom and Dad telling you what you should and shouldn't do. You have to decide for yourself even when it is hard. You decide when you eat, when you sleep, when or if you go to classes. You decide what kind of food you eat and how you spend your day. However, if you are really stuck with a big decision, Mom and Dad are only a call away, and are always ready to give advice. (Update: I actually called my dad yesterday to have him tell me whether I should go on a weekend field trip or not. He said I should go. Guess what? I'm going.)

9. Your family misses you and loves you.

Even though you aren't with them all the time, your family still loves you and wants to hear from you. They won't know any of the people you are telling them about, they won't know the slang form campus locations, but they will love to hear about what you're doing while you're away. So call home, and tell your family that you love them

(PS: The nostalgia while compiling these photos sent me to youtube to listen to about 50 or so theme songs from my childhood, and I ended up in tears.)