Normally when you hear someone talking about getting friend-zoned, it is not because they wanted to. It's the term used to describe when you have a crush on someone, but that person does not feel the same way, so they put you in the friend zone (this probably involves repeated referencing to how much you're like a sister/brother to them along with excessive usage of the words "pal" and "bud"). If you want to learn more about romantic friend-zoning or really just want to watch some quality television with more awkward interactions than you ever thought possible in 21 minutes, check out MTV's show Friendzone, but that's not what this article is for.
The type of friend-zoning that I am referring to here is one that you should definitely want to be apart of your life. The one that comes not from having a romantic crush on someone, but instead a friend crush. You know what I'm talking about, that one person that you've heard so many great things about and probably know more about his or her life than you should, but never actually talked to. Or that one girl that your roommate is really good friends with and you say "hi" to in passing, but have never had a real conversation with. Or maybe the girl you followed on Twitter pre-freshman year whose tweets you still favorite because they're pretty funny, but never met. The list goes on, but you get what I'm saying. All those people that you've admired from afar for too long and really wish you were friends with, but you never acted on it.
If someone just popped into your mind while reading that last paragraph, you need to grab your phone or hit up the school directory ASAP! One of the biggest lessons I have learned so far from senior year is that my time left on this campus is too short for me to keep thinking that someone is cool and that I want to get to know them, but I actually need to act on it! College is a really neat time of life. Sure there's lots of homework and classes are hard, but you literally are just living on a few acres of land with thousands of people the same age as you. I originally thought that by senior year everyone pretty much had their friends and that was it, but I was definitely wrong. Between field hockey and mutual friends, so many little baby friendships have started to take root all around me, and it has been such a blessing.
I could write another 500 words about all the fun times and great conversations I've had with people that I barely knew six weeks ago, but instead you should take the next three minutes to figure out how to contact that one person or multiple people on your mind and ask them to a meal or to go out for coffee. This week bring your friend crush into the friend zone, I promise you won't regret it.
