Sometimes I miss how easy it was to make friends when I was little. All you had to do is introduce yourself and say, "You wanna be my friend?" As kids we would play with everyone because we wouldn't have a reason at that age to exclude each other. Remember when all your classmates were your valentine? Now, you're lucky if you have a valentine when February rolls around.

I realized as we grow and mature, we develop our own values and opinions. We learn to further express ourselves and because of that, we end up having certain friends. The way friendships work really depends on what stage of life you're in. I believe that we tend to find our real friends when we are in college.

Even before entering college, I had heard how friendships would be different. I was told friends from high school would probably be lost along the way and that the people I'd meet in college would be the ones at my wedding in years to come. At first it was kind of hard to imagine. But after attending college for just one year, you can tell how different making and keeping friends can be.

I remember at my high school graduation, everyone would be telling each other that they would stick together despite the odds. But the thing is that college changes people. Sometimes you think you've known a person for four years, but one year of college changes all of that. As I said before, as we grow and mature, we develop or even change our own values. Yes, it's sad when the people we thought we knew change, but it is something out of our control.

Another problem about holding onto friendships past high school is the effort. If neither of you put in the effort to stay in touch, then you won't. I think that's why freshman year of college is so tough. You lose people you never thought you would lose. You see which people are willing to keep up with you and which ones don't care enough. I guess it can be seen as good and bad. It can be seen as bad because in a way you're losing people. But it's also a good thing because you are gardening your friendships. You are taking care of the good flowers present and weeding out the bad ones.

Personally, I am grateful to those who are still friends with me even though they don't go to my college. Those type of friends are the best because they believe you are worth the time and effort.

Then, there are the friends you make at college. Freshman year of college can be seen as the most difficult friend-wise because for the most part, you don't know anyone. Also as freshmen, it had been awhile since we've had to make new friends. At the same time, it's not that bad either. You bond with the ones around you because they're going through the same thing you are. Even more so, the classes you're taking are pointed at your major so you are surrounded by people with the same interests as you. I've realized through ice-breakers and other random interactions that I actually get along with a lot of people on my campus. If I just had the opportunity to get to know them and spend time with them, we could be friends easily. However, not everyone is in your classes. Getting involved is a great way to meet new people and make new friends. Making friends can even be seen as easier in college because most people are more mature and understanding.

To answer the myth, yes, friendships do get a bit more complicated when you get to college. However, you should just be open to it. We've all experienced gaining and losing people. We forget that friends can break our hearts too. But we also forget how many amazing people are out there that we haven't met. Stay true to yourself and keep the good ones close. Keep the ones who don't mind your randomness from time to time, the ones who appreciate your weirdness pretty much whenever, and most importantly the ones who genuinely love you for you.