Freshman year of college is an interesting in-between time. One foot is stuck in high school while the other is waiting to start the next stage of life. This affects friendships. Most freshmen are holding on to the promises that they made to old high school friends that their friendships will last forever. They are also eager to make new friends and begin the adventure that is adulthood. Winter break of freshman year is the perfect time to rekindle your friendships from high school and make sure that they last as long as possible.
During the first semester of the freshman year of college, it becomes more apparent which friends from high school are going to stick around for the long haul and which friendships are not going to last as long. Sometimes it becomes clear that some friendships are toxic and need to end. Other times there is a dramatic falling out. More often than not, nothing too dramatic happens and the friendship just fades. This is when it becomes clear which friendships from high school are going to last forever. It is also proof that it is time to move on and make new college friends.
The first week of college is filled with the expectation that you will always be socializing. There is also the belief that the friends that you are socializing with that first week are going to be your best friends for the rest of your life. That is not necessarily going to be true. The bond that comes with a best friend takes a few years to form, as opposed to a few hours. With patience and an open mind, the bond will form. Do not get me wrong, being around a lot of new people helps with the transition into college. But there is a desire to create deeper, more meaningful relationships with these people.
Luckily, after a few weeks, the constant need to be surrounded by people dies down. Without all of the pressure to constantly be socializing, focusing on becoming closer to all of the new people in your life is an easier task. Instead of making sure that you have a large group of people to go to lunch with so that you do not look like a loner, you can focus on having a meaningful conversation with a few people.
Reputation is an obstacle that many high school students face when trying to make friends. In high school, there are the cliche cliques that everybody grows up knowing about. Once a person joins a set clique they are categorized into that clique and it is hard to make friends with people in other groups. Luckily, college is a clean slate. It's a chance to reinvent yourself. This can definitely help when it comes to making new friends.
The first semester of college can be difficult. However, having friends back home as well as making new friends can make things a lot easier. College friends are great and will last a lifetime.
