As we adventure through the journey of college, we are given the opportunity to meet hundreds and thousands of new people every day. Whether we are walking to our next class, looking for our next study group or making new best friends on Friday nights out, people from all over the country flood college towns. But how do we keep in contact with so many people?  

When I met with my advisor regarding how to get an internship, she encouraged me to join a social media account called LinkedIn, where I would make connections with people who share the same interests. As I was completing my profile, I was met with the question, “What advice do you give to people who want to contact you?” I pondered the question for several minutes, jumping back and forth between all the different communication channels I’m connected to, when suddenly my phone chimed. It was at that moment that I realized one single device connects me to everything in my life. 

Between balancing classes, being involved in organizations and having a job, I find my cell phone in my hand at all times. My cell phone allows me to send text messages, make phone calls and video chat my family back home through Skype or FaceTime. I can check the daily news and stay updated with the latest social media trends through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. 

The majority of new encounters between people who don’t know each other, result in some form of exchanging contact information. We exchange numbers to meet up for coffee, add one another on Facebook to start study groups, and follow our sorority sisters on Instagram so we can tag them in candid photos from Friday nights we want to remember forever. All of these communication channels connect billions of people around the world, every day, by simply creating an account or profile that can be easily accessed through one main channel -- our cell phone.  

It is hard to remember everyone we meet during our lifetime, and it is even harder to stay in touch with our closest friends after college when our lives may take us on different paths. Even with all the social media apps ever made, and all the address books we have ever built, it is our choice whether or not to maintain those relationships. The only way to ensure we don’t miss out on any opportunities in life is to be reachable by more than one channel of communication, and to keep up with the channels we chose to be a part of by checking our accounts daily.

When it comes down to it, it is all about whom we know and where we know them from that creates the best memories and connections. So, when you are met with the question, “What is the best way to contact you?” don’t limit yourself to one method because you never know what adventure that connection might take you on.