If there's one thing I've struggled with for the past 15 years of my life, it's been friendships. Don’t get me wrong, I love my friends, old and new, but sometimes people change. And when they do, so do friendships, and that often leaves you to have to find new people to spend your time with.

The act of finding new friends is a daunting one. The scariest classes in school are the ones you don’t have any other friends in. Often times in college the hard course work isn’t even what makes students the most nervous; it’s being without anybody they know. And the most nerve-racking events are the ones in which you only know one person or none. It’s not easy putting yourself out there but with the new school year just around the corner, some of you might not have a choice.

When you were younger, finding and managing new friends is much easier because everyone is doing similar things at the same stage in their life. Elementary school through high school, you see the same people every day and it is easy to maintain friendships when you have things in common. It is when you grow older and life becomes more complicated with responsibilities that you begin to change and so do your friends.

I wouldn’t say I am too great at putting myself out there, but I do have tips for those of you looking to find new friends. My best piece of advice for you is don’t try to find a new friend. Do the things you love to do: join the clubs, play the sports and go where you enjoy. Pursue your passions and certainly you will find someone along the way who enjoys those same pastimes.

My second piece of advice: see the person regularly. If you join a group or club, going to the weekly meetings is a great way to create new relationships in a fun environment. It’s not always easy. Relationships, especially friendships, take a lot of work, but it should be rewarding work.

If you realize or learn one thing from this article, I hope it is that while it is comforting to have that one friend since first grade, sometimes you don’t meet your soul mate/best friend until you are 20 (and decide to study abroad alone and meet a cool bunch of strangers that eventually become your sisters), and that’s okay.

So to all the girls who had a rough high school experience or feel like you have lost those you were suppose to be friends with forever, don’t worry. There are still plenty of really cool people out there that are waiting for a friend like you. You just do you, and you will find them.

Sometimes the act of making new friends is terrifying, but trust me, the return far outweighs the risk. If you aren’t happy with your friends, don’t settle, just like you wouldn’t settle for a bad boyfriend or girlfriend. Continue to do what you like and enjoy doing and be open to finding new friends.