To the friends I made first semester of freshman year,

The first semester of college is one of the hardest transitions one makes in their lifetime. For me, it meant moving three hours away to another state, from my friends, family, and everything I knew. No one from my high school or town attends Kansas State, so I was completely on my own.

The first week of classes was one of the worst weeks of my life. I was constantly confused, stressed, and worse - alone. I have anxiety, which makes making friends hard. Getting involved with freshman activities seemed useless because there were so many of us. I would get to know someone, then we would part ways only to never see each other again.

This was the case before I made my first college friend. We met at the freshman pep rally on Friday of that first week. We walked in the sea of freshmen across campus to Bramlage Coliseum. At the end of the event, we learned that we actually lived in the same dorm on the same floor. For the next few weeks, she, two other lovely ladies on our floor, and I became our own little "squad." They are the people that made me come out of my shell and realize the potential I had.

Once I gained more confidence and knew that I had support, I began to look for friends in my classes. I knew the secret was finding common ground and getting them interested enough so I could get their social media. This is how I found my first college best friend.

He and I had two classes together with a shared recitation. Sitting together in these classes turned into getting meals together, which turned into hanging out in his dorm (mine was small and he had a giant TV), which lead to me befriending his roommate as well. If we do the math, I was at five friends by week three. I was quite proud of myself.

The last friend that made my first-semester special was this 23-year-old world traveler. We sat by each other in Cultural Anthropology on the first day and kind of just rolled with it. The second week I asked for his number so we could "study," but little did he know that I was conning him to be my friend. He was insightful and worldly and would take me with him on his trips to Walmart. He taught me to have courage and was a special friend to me.

Now I know what you're thinking - these sound like wonderful, lasting friendships. I thought they were. I thought the late night movies with my first friend, the giggle fits with my floormates, and the philosophical chats with my classmate would last forever. But the sad reality is that I actually do not talk to any of these people anymore.

It is no one's fault, people just grow apart, especially in college. Once the spring semester started, we all had different classes, different schedules, and started different lives. Upon returning for the spring semester, I began making friends for quality, not just the convenience of living together or having the same classes.

So thank you, to the friends I made during my first semester at college. You made my transition to independence easier by instilling confidence and self-acceptance. I have not forgotten any of you.