In college, you’re going to meet all kinds of people. With Ohio State having such a huge student population, that phrase honestly could not even sum up the diversity and variety of the people you will encounter during your time here.
Through the course of my years at Ohio State, I have been able to narrow down the kinds of people you’ll meet and the friends you’ll make into 5 distinct categories each with very specific traits. While some may cross the boundaries between the groups, here is just a general outline of what you can expect to encounter:
1. The Weekend Warrior – We all know this friend. They always smell slightly of vodka cranberries and are permanently wearing sunglasses. During the weekends (which generally extend from Wednesday to Saturday for this crowd), they can be found at whatever bar is offering the best shot deal dancing on a table or maybe already passed out under one. They spend most weekdays sleeping off a mild hangover and are very rarely spotted before noon. They can very reliably provide the name of the best party on campus almost any night of the week or can direct to the closest bar. This friend is integral to the social life of the friend group and can always be counted on when you just need that good night out.
2. The Study Buddy – This is the person who has reliably been in almost all of your classes since freshman year. You’ve bonded over your mutual love of your of majors and hatred of almost all of the same professors. You communicate almost exclusively about homework assignments and rarely ever hang out outside of the academic environment. You know you’ll always have someone to sit next to in class and don’t stress when you completely forgot to write down the assignment for that evening. Late-night cramming sessions in the library are made a little less miserable when you have someone to wallow with you. While this friendship could have the possibility to move into the best friend category or someone you hang out with on the regular, your completely different friend group and interests outside of class usually inhibits that
3. The Friend of a Friend – This person is always on the peripheral of your friend group. They are probably really close friends with one of your core friends through one organization or another, but you’ve never really clicked with them. You guys attend all the same events and end up being featured in a lot of instagrams together, but when it comes to hanging out one on one it just never really pans out. Despite politely saying hello when you cross path on campus and group message interactions, you don’t really interact with this person outside of a group setting.
4. The Academic – This person actually inhabits the library. They came to college for one reason and one reason only: to play school. While this person is probably consistently making you feel bad for all those readings you decided you could definitely put off until next week, they also keep you motivated to do your best. Their drive and dedication helps you get through those all nighters at the SEL. The academic keeps you grounded.
5. The Best Friend – These are the people that you meet in college and they stay with you for the rest of your life. They handle your weekly mental break downs, go on coldstone runs with you in the middle of winter, and make night ins more fun than basically any you’ve spent out. These are the people you laugh with, cry with, and celebrate with. In the words of "Grey’s Anatomy," this is your person.
