College is supposed to be one of the best times of your life. However, it is also one of the toughest transitions to make. There is so much anticipation and excitement leading up to moving into college. It doesn’t truly hit you until move in day when your parents say their final goodbyes and you see their car drive away. You truly are on your own. I was blessed to meet my best friends within the first week of school. Your college friends are so important and here’s why:

They’re willing to get food with you at anytime of day.

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Whether you’re craving a slice of pizza at three in the morning or want to order food to your dorm because it’s too cold to walk to the dining hall, your college friends are down for anything. They share the same love for food as you do and if you’re as lucky as me, you might even have a roommate who gets the same thing from your favorite restaurant as you and is willing to split it. There is nothing like bonding with your best friends while enjoying some good food.

They’ll motivate you to go to the gym.

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My alarm to go to the gym goes off at 10 a.m. and I normally roll over and snooze it. However, my college friends will text me telling me to get out of bed because we’re going to the gym whether I want to or not. I love having friends to workout with and motivate me with their workout routines. It’s also an added bonus that I have friends to get lunch with afterwards.

They're your study buddies

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They understand how important your grades are to you and they share the same interest of doing well in school. They're always down for a trip to the library (and are willing to stop for coffee beforehand for those late night study sessions). They always motivate you to study hard so you can go out on the weekend.

They’re your support system.

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Whether something really good happens or something really horrible happens, your college friends are the first people you want to talk to. When something good happens, they’re the people who want to congratulate you. When something bad happens, they know all the right things to say to cheer you up (in most cases it involves a trip to the dining hall to get some cookie dough ice cream).

I could not be more grateful for the friends I’ve made at school. They make the bad days easier, and the good days even better. I am so lucky to have met such great people to share my college experience with. My life wouldn’t be the same without them.