It’s that time of year again.

Back-to-school season.

But after spending 17 years in a classroom (from kindergarten to college), this is the first year I won’t be returning to an institution of learning.

The reality of my new “adult life” finally hit me this week as my sister started her first week of college. For months she worried about how the food would taste and how hot the dorm room would get without air conditioning.

Now, she’s completed her first full week and is already busy with coursework and finding the perfect extracurricular activities.

I can’t help but feel a bit jealous of her. The differences between college life and “adult life” have been an adjustment these past few months.

Now, I no longer live two blocks away from my college friends.  I can’t call and ask them to meet me at the frozen yogurt shop down the street or at the bar for a round of drinks.

I’ve also realized that Chinese restaurants and pizza places aren’t open until 3 a.m. for late night cravings. Happy hour happens during the time when I’m working. I won’t have a Christmas or summer break ever again.

I know I’m one of the lucky ones, though. I received a great job offer within my field of study right before graduation. I jumped right into the real world, tossing that cap and gown into the back of my closet and moving to Pennsylvania to start my career.

Sure, there are things I miss about the college lifestyle (see above), but I realized I can’t live vicariously through my sister’s college experience. Although I may want to give her advice on where to sit in class and what sort of parties to avoid, she’s embarking on a journey of a lifetime and deserves to enjoy it on her own.

That doesn’t mean I won’t be sending her cards or calling her to make sure she’s surviving finals week.

Actually, that is something I won’t miss – finals. I won’t miss finals at all.

What is your favorite college memory? What shocked you the most about the real world? Leave a comment sharing your favorite memory or advice for adjusting from college life to the workforce.