When I started on my college journey, it was safe to say that I was scared. I came from a large Catholic high school, one that was bigger than other Catholic high schools in the area, so I knew how it felt to feel like a fish swallowed up in the waves. I knew how it felt to go unnoticed. I also knew how it felt to try to branch out and become friends with everyone, but eventually learn that maybe those people weren’t as good for you as you thought they would be. Over time, having many different friendships shut down drew me closer to my true friends - the ones that had always been there for me through the tough and easy times. I began to put a guard up, reminding myself that I didn’t need any more friends than the ones I already had.
Entering college, making genuine friends was one of my biggest concerns. I knew that I had my friends back home that would always love and support me, but I also knew that I needed a support group while I was away at school too. I would talk about it every day, how nervous I was, to be going away somewhere that I didn’t know anyone. I knew that although I wanted to do my best to make friends and have fun, it was going to be hard for me to open up to these people because of the personal defenses I had built.
I had always been a very independent person who felt like they didn’t need many friends. I always knew that I would be fine on my own and that I could handle things by myself. I never felt like I would fall apart being alone, with the weight of the world on my back, until I almost did.
I had an easy time making friends when I started school in the fall. They were great--fun, caring, and sweet. Everything was smooth sailing the first couple weeks of the semester - getting acclimated to class, work, and extracurriculars. Then, unfortunately, life hit.
So many stressors began to pile on in my life and I didn’t know where to turn. I could call my family and friends back home, but nothing was the same as a hug when you needed it most. I decided that it was time to open up to my new friends that I made at school. Although it was hard for me to explain to them everything that I had going on in my life, it felt incredibly therapeutic. My friends had no judgements, but instead came to me with open arms and ears that were willing to listen. They supported me and reassured me that everything was going to be okay. Without saying it, they told me that it’s more than okay to open your heart to people you think you can trust, because 9 times out of 10, they aren’t going to be like people you previously opened up to in the past.
The importance of friendship is something that I will never forget. It is a quality in my life that I will definitely cherish for many years to come. Family is forever, and that is for sure, but when you’re able to find friends that are just like your family, that will be forever too. In your freshman year, you might be scared, just like I was, but once you find the strength and courage to open your heart, you’ll be happy that you did.
