Being in a long distance relationship my first semester of college is the hardest thing that I've ever had to go through. First semester is usually pretty tough, but if you're willing to work hard for your relationship, long distance can be the best thing that's ever happened for your relationship. It teaches you how to appreciate your significant other and shows you how much you might have taken your time for granted when you were with them in high school.

1. Expect For Your Schedules to Change

Your first semester of college is going to be hectic, especially in the first month. Adjusting can be hard. You are going to have to work out a good schedule for classes, when you're going to study, making friends and meeting new people, and also making time to talk to your boyfriend. If you spent all of your time with your significant other your senior year like I did, being apart from them every day is going to be a major adjustment. My boyfriend and I lived 2 1/2 hours apart (on a good day with no traffic) first semester. I had to accept the fact that I would only see him once every two weeks at most. Since most freshmen aren't allowed to have cars on campus, finding transportation can be tough, but if you're really serious about your relationship, you'll always find a way. Showing support and love through everything is one of the most beneficial things for a long distance relationship.

2. Expect to Fight Sometimes

Long distance relationships are hard because you can't always communicate in person. Because of this, it can be easy to misunderstand signals because you don't always have body language and inflection to help you out. A lot of your fights may root from a simple misunderstanding, or failure to communicate. For instance, simply forgetting to text back because you're busy could make the other person feel like you're not making time for them, or that you don't want to talk. The best way to prevent these fights from happening is to schedule specific times to talk that are good for both of you when needed.

3. You Might Grow Apart

The person you were in high school is probably going to change once you go to college. You are going to take new classes, learn new things, and meet new people. I know so many people who went to college and found God, or joined an organization that changed their life and who they were as a person. Sometimes, people outgrow old relationships and realize that their boyfriend or girlfriend is no longer making them happy or helping them grow. Other times, when you see each other again after a long period of distance, things just aren't the same. As long as these changes are mainly positive, your relationship probably isn't going to be affected in a negative way. But, if you don't make an effort to change with your significant other, or be accepting of their changes, it can be tough for you two to be on the same page.

4. When You See Each Other Again, it Will be the Best Part of Your Semester

Especially if you are used to spending every waking minute with your boyfriend, distance is going to be a huge adjustment. But, once you see them again, it will all be worth it. When I went to go see my boyfriend for the first time in college, I didn't even want to go to sleep. I didn't want to waste a single minute.

5. You Will Have to Accept the Fact That Your Boyfriend Will Have a Life Without You

This can be one of the biggest adjustments for many long distance couples. Both you and your boyfriend will develop new friendships at your respective schools. You are both going to meet a lot of people and create a lot of new, previously unknown experiences for yourself.

6. Communication is Key, Except for When it's too Much

The number one mistake I made at the beginning of my boyfriend and I going long distance is that I was too clingy. Everyone is busy during the first two weeks. You don't need to text for 8 hours of your day to keep your relationship going. If anything, excessive communication will only hinder you from having fun at your own school and you might cause you to pass up important opportunities. For my boyfriend and me, once a day communication or a phone call worked best. Over text, it was always much too easy to misinterpret one another and get in an unnecessary fight. If you're worried about your boyfriend falling out of love with you due to not enough talk time like I was, let me just tell you this: It probably won't happen. The reason I feel so strongly about this? You and your boyfriend both chose as a unit to continue dating, despite the distance. You both want it. Give him time to miss you and trust me, it will pay off. You'll have much more to talk about while simultaneously still being able to be happy at your own school.

7. Expect it to (Usually) Be Worth It

My boyfriend and I did long distance for all of first semester. I didn't end up having a good experience at my first school, so I ended up transferring to the same school as my boyfriend. When I first got here, we fought more than I'd like to admit. But, after we both adjusted, we came out stronger than ever. I feel like if we could conquer long distance, we can conquer anything. Every single minute of our time together now is treasured. Being apart made us realize how much we truly want to be together. Plus, even though long distance is difficult, we know now that if one of us were to take up an opportunity (such as study abroad, or a job far away) that we are strong enough to live apart while still dating. Once knowing this, it is much easier to support your boyfriend in their endeavors.