We make all kinds of friends, both in high school and in college and some of them stay friends for a lifetime. I talked about some of these friends in my previous article, "The Friends We Make Part 1", which came out a couple weeks ago. This week I'm going to continue with more of these kinds of friends, and I hope that you can relate to some of these as well.
High School
1. The Lockers Next to Yours
After seeing the same person almost every day for several years, you become friends. Whether it's telling their boyfriend to move off your locker or making sure that you don't knock your locker into them throughout the day.
2. The Lunch Table
More of a group of people than just one, but the people you eat with every day become your friends, regardless of class schedule. I know mine was so packed that we dragged chairs over, causing a table that should have held about 16 people to hold almost 20 of us every day.
3. The One That's Better at ______ than you
Maybe it was the one who helped you study for History or the person that knew how to use that math equation you can't figure out. Friends that are better at some things than you are important. They make you realize that there is someone who understands it and can explain, or is just as confused as you are about it.
College
As I stated last time, college is full of far more diverse groups of people than high school. This isn't just about language or culture, but also about interests, hometowns, love life, jobs, and age differences.
1. The Married One
Now that they are married, they no longer live in the dorms on campus, so you see them even less than you used to. Seeing them take that step towards a lifetime commitment is encouraging and inspiring. (Especially since I'm the one who still hasn't had a date in- well, I won't say how long, but basically- forever.) You're proud of them and wish them the best, even if you wish you could hang out more often, without the spouse.
2. The Ex-Roommates
Now, calling them ex-roommates sounds like they might have been bad roommates, but they weren't, not all of them, and not always. It's just that living together for a while either makes you friends or it makes you enemies, and some roommates are stronger friends, for lack of a better term, than others. Rooming with a friend is also more complicated than rooming with an (almost) complete stranger because your friendship could be on the line because of an argument over cleanliness or something. A stranger may become a friend after living with you and if they don't, that's too bad, but there's always someone else to room with, (or being alone is fun too).
3. The Friend You Made in "That One Class" from Freshman Year
You met this person in one of those core classes everyone has to take, like history, and being in the same year meant that both of you were trying to get used to college studying habits- by this I mean last minute cramming.
4. The One from Your Floor
I've made many friends this way, or had several friends end up in the same building. Either you knew them from class and were ecstatic to find them on your floor later on, or you made friends because you always saw them on your floor in the hallway or the lounge. Your next door neighbor could become a close friend partially because they are always nearby.
How many friends have you made through random circumstances or accidents or misunderstandings? How many friends do you have that aren't the same age group as you, and how many of you can say that you are friends with a wide range of types of people? Feel free to comment or share this with friends, especially if it made you think of them.