As college students, it can be easy to surround ourselves with people who think similarly to us, who are taking similar courses as us, the people who are in the same stage of life as us.

It's just the beginning of a new semester and a new year. This is the time to make relationships with different people so that we can become deeper thinkers, more considerate coworkers, more compassionate lab partners, more vulnerable friends....and better human beings.

This semester, I want to spend time with people who are different, so that this precious stage of life is filled with constant growth in every area, and not just academic growth.

Here are five people with whom I want to form relationships this semester, and this year.

1. People with whom we completely disagree on different issues.

It is so hard to surround ourselves with people who aren't on the same wavelength as us. To spend time with people whom, quite frankly, we don't understand. Hanging out with people like this does not mean that we have to agree with them, or that we have to give up that for which we feel passionately. It's about recognizing that people are people; they're not just their opinions, outlooks, or political or religious affiliations. We can learn from their perspective. Even if we believe with all our might that they are wrong on a certain issue, intentionally spending time with these people will help us recognize that their opinion matters simply because they are human. Quality time with said person will reveal their humanity to you. No one is "irrelevant."

2. People who have different backgrounds and different goals than we do.

This might be an easy one. I feel like many college students have friend groups which are comprised of a mix of people. I struggle with this one because I'm a commuter and a double major. The only people I hang out with are the people I see in class, and especially those who are majoring in similar things as I am. I'm sure many commuters don't struggle with this, but I've found it to be very difficult to surround myself with people that I wouldn't see unless I did so intentionally. It can also be difficult to form friendships with people if we don't feel that we have any similarities, in our backgrounds or in our life goals. But let's do it anyway.

3. People who go to different colleges than we do.

Any two people could be going to school for the exact same thing, and yet, if their schools are different, their college experience is going to be drastically different. Meeting people from other schools and using our differences in experiences will help us each grow academically, socially, mentally, and emotionally.

4. People from different walks of life than we are.

This might be hard to find if you live on campus. Most likely, most of the people you see are college students. But there are always ways to get involved with the community. I love hanging out with young married couples, young families, and children, but do I intentionally make time to be with these people, though? No, not always. And what about the elderly or people with disabilities?

For the sake of our own wisdom, maturity, understanding, love, and compassion, we all need to be taking every chance we have to be with people who aren't in college. And there are quite a lot of people not in college, so they shouldn't be too hard to find. Some people feel burdened for certain groups of people, but we can learn from people in every stage of life. They have wisdom that is beyond our vision as college students.

5. People that are "too cool" for us.

If I'm in a comfortable situation, in my house, at Camp Li-Lo-Li, or if I feel like I know more on an issue than the other party, it's easy for me to talk to people. This is most definitely a pride issue. I find it difficult to acknowledge when I feel uncomfortable or when I feel that I have the disadvantage because I don't know as much on a subject, or as many people as the other party.

In those situations, I feel that the other party is "too cool" for me. I tend to think that a certain person wouldn't want to hang out with me because they already have a lot of friends, or because of some flaw that I have, or because in conversations I have with them, I would never have the upper-hand. I would always be the disadvantaged one. That hurts my pride. So I avoid reaching out to those people whom I think are "too cool".

This was true about one friend that I've made at Roberts. And I still think she's too cool for me. But one day, I decided to take that twenty seconds of courage and ask her if she wanted to get coffee sometime. Ever since we've become good friends. Even though I still think she has life experience and ethereal characteristics with which I could never compete, I have been learning that friendship is not about constantly having the advantage in education, experience, appearance, or in character. It's about admitting your disadvantages and being vulnerable. This is what makes the most valuable of friendships.

So this year, I want to let go of my hurt pride completely, and have more conversations, at the very least, with the people whom are much too cool for me.