Maybe it doesn't affect me that much because I commute. Maybe I don't realize it because of the copious amounts of technology that connects me with my high school friends. But when I come to think of it, after a full year of college, I have no close friends there. I have yet to find any truth to the saying "college is where you'll meet your true friends"- but that doesn't mean I never will.

As much as I wanted to write an article that preached independence and that you don't need to meet your maid of honor right away at orientation, I know that wouldn't be true for me. After meeting my best friend on the first day of high school, I went into college hoping that friends would find me the same way they did four years ago.

As a dreamy-eyed idealist, I had so much confidence in finding new friends and creating my own life on campus that I laughed at the rumors that finding friends in college would be different.

But, here I am, about to start my second year, and I still find myself texting my high school friends and being disappointed in the fact that I didn't find a friend on campus. No sugarcoating here--it sucks. Walking around campus alone, eating alone in the dining hall, and sitting by yourself in every class sucks. I constantly find myself thinking "who am I going to sit with at graduation in three years?". As much as some people try to say otherwise, no one wants to be a lone wolf all the time, and everyone could use a friend who shares your experiences at the same school as you.

Here's where this article takes a turn to the original one I planned on writing. Just because you didn't find your entire bridal party your first year on campus doesn't mean that you never will. Behind this screen, writing this article, is still the dreamy-eyed idealist who hopes to find a friend on campus in the coming year through clubs and activities. But even if I don't, I know the world won't end. Life goes on. The sun will shine every day and my family and my friends will be there for me.

Finding a friend in college is about finding someone who can relate to your campus struggles, and hopefully, can grow into someone who is a lifelong friend. But I won't compare people who know me inside and out and who are my best friends for life to someone I meet at college and who might only be there for me for the next four years. So, even though it sucks not having a friend on campus, I'd rather have a family and close friend group that understands me, cares about me, and loves me.