In our generation, we are haunted by the fact that we may end up alone and miserable. Whether it be end of friendships or the end of a long term relationship, there's a constant undertones fear that we may be surrounded with the same people we are now in the next couple of years, months or weeks even. But, why do we care so much? Why does the thought of being alone make people cling to their friends even more than they're supposed to? Isn't that what we have family for? As a human, we feel the need to be a part of something, to be included with something and in college especially, this is no different.
One of the very first things I noticed when I got to school my freshman year was the desperate need we all felt to have friends and form a group of people to hang out with. It was honestly like speed dating. You gave your roommate a couple shots, but if that didn't work out, you had to venture out and find people who made you feel at ease, and if you became friends with them, it was the best day ever. All my life, I had never experienced such a thing because I had experienced multiple times what it's like being alone, not having any friends, and I was perfectly OK with that. I'm not one of those people to feel like I need to be included to have a good time. I can be just as happy watching Netflix for hours on end without contact with another human. At least, so I thought.
When you form these close-knit friend groups at a larger school, it's like you all are a singular school of fish intermingled with other fish in the entire ocean. Once you find people you think you can call your friends, the whole experience of being away at school becomes that much more enjoyable. No matter how much of a hermit you think you are, you hold on for dear life, which is exactly what I did. Fast forward to sophomore year when people live on different parts of campus or off campus and this is threatened for the sheer fact that you aren't together 24/7. Everything's changed. You have to make time to see each other and hang out. Some friendships become stronger and some fall apart.
If you lose these friends, why does it feel like the end of the world? Why do you feel that you'll never have friends again. You have to know what it's like to be lonely at some point to truly appreciate being alone because there is a difference. Being lonely is something people dread because you feel like a burden to others around you. On the other hand, being alone is one of the most glorious things there is. It's an opportunity for you to reevaluate what you want to gain from you experience in life. Use this time to do the things you want to do that you old friends wouldn't have enjoyed. I feel as if our generation knew what it's like to be alone, at least for a little bit, then there would be much less emphasis on having to be a part of something to make us feel comfortable and having to acquire approval from those around us.
