College is a major part of any young person’s life. For many people, it is the first time you are living away from your parents. You meet new people and your friends often turn into family.

1. The people you meet the first week will be your forever friends

When you start college people are eager to make friends because they are away from their family and friends for the first time. Most people are quick to form groups and the people I met during my first week of college have ended up being my best friends.

2. Your roommate will become your partner in everything

My roommate and I were a random pairing so my freshman year could have been a complete disaster. We ended up having very different personalities but it worked out perfectly. I could not imagine having a different roommate and I could not imagine my freshman year without her. We have been together for the best moments of the year and have wiped the tears off each other during the worst.

3. High school friends grow apart

Sometimes you will grow apart from your high school and childhood friends. People change and often times change is imperative. During college and throughout your life you experience so many new events. If you go through life and never change you are wasting the chance to evolve and become a better person. You may often take different paths than your old friends and that is fine because you will always have the memories. You may sometimes need to let people go and find their own way.

4. Your hall friends are the best

I am blessed enough to live in an all-girls dorm room which for some is not ideal because of the noise but it is the best way to spend your freshman year. If you live in an all-girls dorm you will constantly have your door open and will be sharing everything. You will see these girls around campus and out at night and will get so excited because you know you spent your first year of college together.

5. You will see how much you have in common with random people

During college, you will meet people from all different parts of the world that come from very different backgrounds. However, what I have found is that I have so much in common with people who I never met before coming to college. You may come from neighboring cities, travel to the same places over the summer and may have even gone to the same summer camps. Your college best friend could easily be someone you passed paths with.

6. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people in your class

In high school, people did not generally make friends in class because you mainly had friend groups already formed from extracurricular activities. In college, however, especially during the first-week, people are really eager to make friends who they can eat with and go out with. Everyone is scared and is just trying to make the transition from high school to college as easy as possible.

7.You will see how generous people are

In college, you will truly see how flexible and generous some people are. People are willing to lend a hand to a complete stranger that they just met a few days ago. In my group of friends, we all leave our doors open and share everything. We are all willing to go out of our way for any of our friends.

8. It is okay to have acquaintances

Not everyone you meet will become your best friend and that is okay. You will meet people during college that you will have an instant connection with. You will probably go out with these people, go to dinner with them and even have a few deep talks with them. You may not end up being best friends with these people and only wave them to around campus but it is still good to have acquaintances.

9. Some people don’t have your best interest in mind

Often times people get wrapped up in making new friends that they forget not all people have your best intentions in mind. You will meet people in college who are manipulative and self-obsessed. It is important to remember to not be easily fooled and to not let people take advantage of you.

10. It is strange how close you get to people

Before coming to college, no one tells you that you will meet your best friends. Nobody tells you that in a few short weeks you will meet people who you would do anything for, who you treat like family and who you know everything about. When you move hundreds of miles away from your family, your friends turn into family. You depend on each other and can suddenly not imagine your life without the people you timidly said “Hello” to on move in day.

Enjoy your college friendships, I hear they last a lifetime!