Looking back at move in day in August, I never would have imagined all the wonderful and sometimes hard things that would happen in a span of nine months. This year alone, I've learned some valuable lessons, not all of them easy.

Sometimes long-term friendships end. I never in a million years would have seen this coming, but I believe things happen for a reason. My best friend and I were practically inseparable for four years, but as soon as we split for college, we drifted, and now it's finally something I've come to terms with.

Your friend group at the beginning of the year will change by the end. Starting off, you try and get to know everyone, in fear of not being able to find that one person to call your best friend. You cling to many different groups of people, hoping to find your niche, but as the months go by, you slowly stop hanging out with all of the different groups, and find that one friend group you know you'll continue to be friends with for years to come.

Stressful doesn't begin to describe your first year in college. I thought school couldn't be worse than high school, but I was seriously mistaken. I've always heard jokes about how hard college was, but I never would have imagined how right those jokes were. Besides being seriously in debt, you basically are drowning in projects and essays, and when you finally come up for air, you find yourself right back in the deep end with the course load.

Don't take 18 credit hours your first year. Personally, I thought I could handle it, but I was dead wrong. Long story short, just don't do that to yourself.

Enjoy the little things. I really didn't realize how important this is until this year. I've taken so many things for granted before this, and enjoying the little things in life will go such a long way in college. Sometimes you just need to take some time for yourself and go get ice cream with your friends, it's something so simple that will just make you feel 100 percent better.

You're going to feel very much alone sometimes. There are going to be days when you just sit on your bed and stare blankly at the wall. You miss your family, and your close friends, and you want to reach out to them for guidance but you either can't or you don't want to burden them. I've personally always been bad about asking for help when I need it, but college is great because there's always someone around who's willing to listen.

You might consider dropping out or changing majors. This is totally OK! People leave or transfer, and switch their majors all the time. Don't think that just because your school or major wasn't right, that something's personally wrong with you. It just means that whatever it is isn't right for you, and there's a college or major out there that is, and you'll eventually find your way to it.

Summer break won't get there soon enough. Sure not having a curfew is great, and going out without having to ask permission is all nice and dandy, but being home after your first year is honestly the thing you need most in life. You'll miss the friends you made in school, but nothing beats finally being in your own bed, knowing you have no more deadlines, projects, and presentations to due. You can finally relax from being on edge and feeling like there's always something you need to turn in. You finally just have three months of pure bliss where you can do anything without having to stress over something.