With the start of a new semester, many college students end up in long distance relationships (LDRs) -- whether it be through study abroad, different plans after graduation, or attending different schools entirely. Everyone will want to give you their advice on it, or look at you with sad eyes when you explain that your SO (significant other) lives a bus ride (or more) away. Ugh. To show my solidarity with those pushing through the distance, here’s a not lame list that breaks down LDRs, with a little help from our friends on the best comedy ever, "Arrested Development."

Here are the downs, as low as Tobias' success at acting.

1. You feel so lonely all the time.

Going from being able to see your SO whenever you wanted to only being in the same room a few times a month, or less, becomes incredibly lonely, especially in the beginning. Whenever you’re having a bad day, your SO is always the one in your corner, and not having them as your in-person cheerleader really sucks. It can feel pretty isolating.

2. No physical stuff, at all.

A huge component of a relationship is the physical stuff. Most relationships start on physical attraction, and thus this attraction and sexual tension is a massive driving force, especially in the beginning stages. Even if you’ve been with your SO for years, it’s unlikely that this stuff doesn’t matter to you anymore. In fact, it definitely matters. Even non-sexual physical stuff is off-limits -- no hugs, no naps together. If you get too meta about this, it can feel almost pointless to continue to conduct a relationship so far apart.

3. You feel detached from their lives.

You are living in different places, with different friends and experiences. When you and your SO live in the same town, you're living your lives together, or at least you intersect more regularly. You have mutual friends and a similar understanding of what each other is doing. Throw distance into the mix and it's easy to feel like you're missing a lot of their lives. When the names of their friends are so unfamiliar, or the references so obscure that it’s hard to keep up, it can start to feel like you’re slipping out of the forefront of your SO’s life.

4. Jealously and insecurity is relevant in ways that it never was before.

These two ugly feelings can rear their heads at any point in any relationship, but they are a little more inflamed in LDRs. Some of the obvious reasons for this are stated above, combine detachment with no physical and you can understand why you feel paranoid about your SO’s wandering eyes, or yours. It could be easier to imagine a future with the cute guy in your chem class, than your SO who is long bus rides away. You may also feel like your partner is losing interest in you; maybe communication wanes because they're busy -- so they're obviously hooking up with that pretty girl who works in the coffee shop near their apartment. There's always this little voice in your head, "How do I know they still want me?" Partners are technically not more likely to cheat in a LDR versus a non-LDR, but the problem is that petty jealously has more power to ruin a relationship when you are not able to regularly see your partner in person.

5. You’re cornered into thinking about the future.

LDRs are only really worth it if there is an end in sight, meaning one of you is going to move to be in the same place as the other, and this better be happening semi-soon, at a concrete time. Otherwise, what's the point in going through all the emotional stress of an LDR? Seriously, it just isn’t worth it if there’s no foreseeable end to the distance. Although discussing the future can be fun, it's also a strain especially on younger relationships. It forces you to consider your life goals, family plans, and travel plans a lot sooner than you may have liked. LDRs have to have conversations about long-term planning, or else they're pretty fruitless and this can be an obstacle for some couples.

6. Visits always have to be planned out.

You can’t really be spontaneous. It’s frivolous to fork out money for a plane ride without asking your SO first if they're even free to have a visitor right now. It's not as if you can just drop that huge essay to hang out with your girlfriend for a weekend. You also need to plan in advance to save money on travel costs. If you're the typical debt-accruing college student, money is tight and, realistically, you can’t just go visit your SO because you need a hug.

Now, for the ups.

1. Reunions are like the honeymoon period all over again.

Every time you and your SO reunite it’s like the original spark is ignited again. Distance really does make the heart grow fonder. There’s nothing like getting to hug your SO after a month of not being able to see them in person, or the butterflies you feel when you see them as the bus approaches the terminal. It’s seriously magical. Cherish these moments.

2. You get more time to focus on yourself.

This might sound a little hippy dippy but it’s true. With your SO far away you have a lot more time on your hands. Put extra work into your studying and bring up your grades like you’ve always wanted to, get a part-time job or take extra hours, join a new club or volunteer organization, take up a new hobby, go to a yoga class. The possibilities are endless. Self-reflection and possible self-improvement are incredibly viable options to take while missing your SO. You’ll learn to be more independent, which will also benefit your relationship with bae.

3. You have more time for your friends and family.

When you’re in a relationship, it's easy to get so caught up in it that everything else slips to the wayside. This can, unfortunately, mean that your other social bonds take a toll. With your SO gone, you can reexamine your social life and see if, perhaps, you were putting too much energy into your SO (not always the case, but it’s worth considering). Either way, it’s nice to have extra time for your friends and family. Have a girls' night, hang out with the guys like you always planned to, meet up with your roommate from freshman year for lunch, call your sister. These people will appreciate it and you’ll be happier at cultivating a more balanced social life. You’ll probably realize how much you missed everyone too and it will take your mind off of missing your SO.

4. It’s an opportunity to step back and examine your relationship, a.k.a., the ultimate test.

There’s no denying it. Long distance is incredibly difficult. It puts stresses on your relationship like you’ve never had before. It also gives you a chance to see if it’s the relationship you actually want to be in. If, when apart from your SO, you find yourself having wandering eyes or getting frustrated at having to call every other night, maybe this relationship isn’t really for you. Relationships, when in an easy setting, may seem a lot more appealing than they really are. Sometimes, it takes difficulty and stress to see if that person really is somebody that you would want to be with above all else. LDRs are a simple way to see if you’re meant to be.

5. That Person.

This might be the most obvious, but also most overlooked reason. The reason why LDRs don’t suck is because of your SO. Yes. Seriously. The fact that you love your partner enough to suffer through heartbreak and stress for a year or more means that you really care about them to a degree that is not only adorable, but endearing. This is what love is all about, going to the ends of the Earth for somebody. Your SO makes it all worth it, and that trumps all the bad and the ugly.

To all you guys in LDRs -- hang in there.