Initially, getting to college is a whirlwind of scary- meeting new, different people in your classes, dorms, and everywhere in between. In the middle of all the new introductions of countless people, a few of those people really stick; you see them more and more and slowly start to form friendships with them.

Then suddenly, they become yourpeople. In terms of Phoebe Buffay, they are your lobsters. These are the people you go to class with, grab dinner with, study with, go out with- these are the people you do basically everything with. They have learned everything about you and they even know you better than you know yourself at times. This is my sincerely overdue thank you to my first real college friends. We met in the most unlikely of places and we formed instant friendships and you have all been there ever since.

I now truly understand why the phrase “the people you meet in college will become some of your best friends” is true. It is because the years spent in college are the years where the most important thing in the world is making new friendships. Being just a small person on a big college campus without my family and high school friends was terrifying at first. Since then, I have filled the spaces with the best of friends.

They are the people I stay up to ungodly hours with on any given day of the week cramming. They are the people I have study parties with on a weekly basis. They are the people I go to when I need an opinion on an outfit or new hairstyle option. They are the people I go to when I have something going on, or even when I just need to vent. They are the people I can laugh with over “family dinner”. They are the people that can cheer me up no matter how down I get. They are there for me through thick and thin since they have seen me at my worst and best times. They have become my second family, my home away from home.

They are a constant reminder in my life that even though college is extremely stressful at times, it is still a fun care-free time in my life. They have pushed me to work harder because they know what my goals are and refuse to let me just ‘settle’ for something, they want to help me succeed.

Now it’s hard to remember a time I didn’t know them. We spent every day together between sitting on the couches in the dorms and in the cafeteria. We knew each other’s schedules and we slowly learned everything about each other’s past and future hopes and dreams. We have been introduced to each other’s families over facetime sessions and visits.

We have all become a package deal of sorts. We swiped each other into our beloved dining hall when someone ran out of swipes, we helped each other with homework and had weekly cookie baking nights. I cannot thank you guys enough for everything you have done for me and will continue to do for me in the future. It is because of you guys that the transition from high school to college became less intimidating. I have become a better person. You guys have motivated me to get up and go to class, the gym, and become involved in things on campus I would never have done had it not been for your support.

So here it is guys: thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you for remembering my birthday even though we had only known each other less than a month. Thank you for choosing me all those months ago at math camp. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being my first real college friends; for being my lobsters.