For many people going away to college means a fresh start at life. Part of the excitement is being in an unfamiliar place and surrounding yourself with new people and experiences. If you are like me, then you picked a school that is 3,000 miles away not because you hate your family or the town that you grew up in, but because you wanted to be completely out of your element. Like many other kids, I wanted to experience a culture that is foreign to the one I have always known. So when my younger sister first told me that she had decided to come to the same school as me, I immediately had flashbacks to my freshman year and all of the crazy things that I experienced. I felt terrified, as I knew she would be up to the same things that I was up to at her age.

I always knew the day would come when she would go away to college, but it never occurred to me that she could possibly go to the same school and do the same things that I did. And I’ll admit that when she first arrived at school I was nervous because, like me when I arrived, she didn’t know anything or anyone. But having my sister here has turned out to be quite the adventure for both of us, and although we have seen each other do things that I never thought possible, I wouldn’t trade having her here for anything!

But let’s get real...having your sibling on campus can lead to some great times, but it can also lead to some moments of classic, “We’re never bringing this up again.” Here is a list of the perks and drawbacks of having your sibling on campus:

Perks

• Good reminder of home. We are away from home for months at a time, so sometimes it feels really good just to go back to home mode and treat your siblings the way you do at home, and not school!

• Someone to help you out. Whether it's help with homework, relationship advice, or needing money because you are broke and it’s only the third day of the month, your sibling will always be there to scoop you out of trouble. Chances are they will end up helping you when you are in a sticky spot, so it’s better to help cover the news of their MIP from your parents now. You will want the good karma.

• Travel companion. Making the trek back home is never something to look forward to, but if you have someone by your side to entertain you the whole time, that 6-hour flight will fly by!

• A friend you can always count on. Just because you can’t force your friends to hang out with you doesn’t mean you can’t force your siblings. So if you are ever having a bad day and all of your friends are busy, you know that you can always demand that your sibling come over and eat ice cream with you on the couch and binge-watch "Friends."

Drawbacks

• You know the details of each others' social lives. Whether you were at the same party or not, you can count on one of your friend’s friends to witness your sibling in action. Not only will you hear about where they were, but every detail of what they were doing and why...because they are your sibling.

• They have dirt on you. Once you have seen each other out, everything changes. It’s hard to be the responsible older sibling after your sibling sees you go out during Homecoming Week.

• You feel overprotective. Especially if you are the older sibling at school, you just want to make sure that they’re alive, happy and healthy. So if they don’t answer their phone, don’t panic and assume the worst.

• Parents love to compare. Younger siblings experience this more than the older ones: by the time they come to campus, older siblings usually have their shit together and have joined a couple of clubs and gotten involved on campus. So your parents are constantly asking you when you will take a leadership position and act like your sibling who didn’t have it together until 5 minutes ago.