I used to hate word limits as much as you Megan..however much it did prove confining at the time I used to appreciate that it forced me to be far more selective and sparing in what I was writing...and learning to say what needed to be said in half the content which is one of the primary reasons why they are implemented in the first place. They are very frustrating but everyone has the same limitation.
I believe there is usually a 5-10% under and over-limit before they become concerned with an essay's content as well.