Coming home for the holidays is your first REAL break from the college lifestyle. Getting to come home for a month and be with your hometown friends is one of the things you look forward to, but there are a few things that people forget to tell you about what it's like being a college student in your hometown.

1. You won't see everyone you graduated with.

ahh yes, surprise. That giant group chat you have on Facebook with your entire graduating class talking about all the things y’all are going to do when you all get back? Not going to happen. Yes, you’ll see some of them. You’ll go on adventures with some of them and reminisce on the good times, but despite what you may think, you won't see all of them, and there will probably never be a time that everyone will be available to hangout. Sorry.

2. Time doesn’t stop while you’re gone.

For those of us who grew up in a small town and know everyones first, middle and last names as well as their parents, this might be a bit of a shock. We come home from the hectic life we’ve been living with the organizations we’ve joined, finals and all the things that drive us crazy, only to realize that, omg, life is STILL happening in our hometown. The things that we think are put on “pause” while we’re gone, actually aren't and time has still passed since the last time you drove out of city limits.

3. You actually might shed a tear driving around.

This one is a shock to most because we were all so ready to get out of the only place we’ve ever known. Time is a funny thing. We all spent four years crying about how bad we wanted high school to end, and then we came home for the holidays while the high school is still in session (I guess theres a good thing -- longer breaks!) and we might even shed a tear wondering where time went, and thinking about how hard it is. It seems like we were never supposed to leave. Another land mark is the football field. Driving by Ranger Field always reminds me of the multiple Friday Night Lights that I got to spend with my friends there. The tears that were shed on Senior Night, as well as the very last time I was on the field -- graduation.

4. The Seniors are now “Too cool for you.”

Lol, remember just a year ago, when you were the senior and everyone wanted to be friends with you? HA NOT ANYMORE. Welcome to the has been life. We’re officially has beens, and while we have started college and we tell them it’s hard and to take a step back and enjoy things.. They think we’re crazy and dumb for thinking that. Don’t worry, they’ll be saying the same things when they’re has beens. ;)

5. THE WAY YOU LIVE FOR THE NEXT MONTH IS HELL

This one is annoying. You come home for 1 month. That’s all you’re here for. You’re here too long to only bring a few things home, but you’re not here long enough to unpack everything you’ve brought back with you. So guess what that means.. yep, you live out of suit cases, boxes, and just like life before you moved, off your bedroom floor except the glory of it this time? You’re parents understand and WON'T yell at you for it! But don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t change the fact that it completely sucks and you just want to feel like you have your life kind of together.

6. Your parents will still nag you.

Sorry to my mom and dad who are reading this, but you have to agree. :) Okay, so you’re 18 years old. You’ve been living on your own for a full, what? 4 months? So you basically live your life how you want, right? Wrong. Mom and Dad will still nag you for coming home too late and laying in bed all day and watching Netflix. You’re still their baby, let them enjoy you being home.

Coming home for the holidays is awesome -- for awhile. After all, college makes you appreciate home, and home makes you appreciate college, Right?