A lot of things begin to change when you finally take the highly anticipated leap from high school to college. You've just spent the last 18 years of your life in the same town, with the same people, driving up and down the same streets and that all just changed (terrifying right?).

Moving from your small town to this new and exciting place can be extremely scary, but it also can be the best decision you've ever made and heres why:

You'll start to appreciate your small town...

I know it sounds crazy, but after moving three hours away from my tiny town, I actually started to miss it. You spend your entire life talking about getting out and moving away, but the truth is, this is and always will be your home. You'll miss the Friday night football games and being able to walk to and from multiple friends houses because you were never more than two miles away. You'll miss your parent's home cooked meals (A LOT!!!). You'll miss your annoying younger siblings you couldn't wait to be rid of. You'll miss it all, and that's okay.

Now that you're getting used to your classes, you'll start forming deeper friendships...

Being so far from home means meeting people who are very different from you. Initially it may come as a culture shock especially if you're like me and were transitioning from a small town to a bigger city, however this is also one of the best parts about living so far from home. You'll get to meet so many different kinds of people and it will make you realize just how much of the world you have left to explore.

You'll figure out who your true friends from home are...

Everyone always says that you end up falling out of touch with your high school friends, but the truth is if you're willing to put in just as much effort into the friendship as them then that doesn't have to happen. I'm now a junior in college and I'm even closer with my friends from home than I was when we graduated. For us it was all about making time when you can. It won't be like it used to be, but going away for school doesn't mean you have to use that as an excuse to never speak again.

That being said, you also can escape your past...

Whether it's an ex boyfriend or girlfriend, or even just a toxic friendship, going away for school gives you the chance to branch out and leave some things in the past. Now that you're farther away, you don't have to see them on a regular basis which gives you a chance to make it a clean break.

Either way, whether you go across the country for college, three hours away, or ten minutes down the road, your experience is what you make it.