Through all the classes, the sleepless nights, the laughs, the petty drama, and the times you think you are not going to make it, you always have your friends. College can either be the worst or the best four years of your life. Who you chose to spend it with, has a lot to do with how you will remember your college experience.
Your experience with friends in college can go 1 of 3 ways:
1. The Clique:
You have your one set group of friends – they are the people you go to class with, eat in the dining hall with, party with, gossip with, fight with, and ultimately just love to pieces. They are the heart and soul of your college life. Without them, you have no idea where you would be.
The upside to having your set clique is the safety and security of knowing that there is a set group of people who know all your garbage and still love you regardless. However, there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of other people who have the potential to be the greatest friends; the downside to having your clique is that fact chances are, you’re probably ignoring those people.
Branch out! Keep your clique, but don’t forget about the benefits of having friends that you are not constantly around 24/7.
2. The Drifter
Like me, you’re the kid that has lots of friends, but never one specific group to call “my group.” You know a lot of people with different personality types and hang out with whomever based on which aspect of your personality you feel like embracing that day. The great thing about it, is knowing that there are people all over campus that have your back. People that are not exactly like you and people who you are not constantly with; allowing you to do your own thing without someone in your group always around.
The downside lies in the fact that “drifters” often feel like they are left out. In some cases, instead of having a few great, close friends, you have numerous acquaintances.
The only way to fix that downside is to, within your group of acquaintances, build a small group of friends around you from different walks of life that you can go to and have their company and friendship feel like home.
3. The Loner
One way to ensure a miserable time at college is to isolate yourself in your room, rarely socializing. Hiding behind your laptop, your Xbox, your cell phone, or a book is not wrong, but at the same time, having friends in college is part of your education whether you realize it or not.
Making friends in college is nothing like making friends in high school. The atmosphere is usually much more relaxed, making it that much easier for you to introduce yourself and make new friends!
