The end of junior year was when it really hit me that big changes were coming. I had tears in my eyes and an unsettling feeling in my gut as I said goodbye to my roommates who were graduating. They were moving on from college and heading out into the real world. It was the first time I wasn’t entirely sure when I would see my friends next.

Now, the summer before senior year, I’m starting to miss my friends and we haven’t even said goodbye yet. Knowing that a big goodbye is coming our way, and lots of things are going to change, I want my friends to know a few things…

1. I wouldn’t have made it without you.

Saying college is challenging is a gross understatement. I can’t tell you the number of times I felt emotionally and physically drained. There were so many times I questioned my decision to go to college, but then I’d look at all the friends I made-- the true friendships I knew would carry on past school—and it made everything worth it.

I wouldn’t have made it through all the late nights and sleep-deprived days if it weren’t for you guys. You filled my weekends with smiles, memories and laughs and got me through my toughest weeks, always offering a shoulder to cry on or a cup of coffee when needed. You made college bearable.

2. I wouldn’t change my experience for anything.

Those nights we stayed up talking and goofing off to the early hours of the a.m, only to show up to class exhausted the next day were some of the best moments. The days we chose to just eat dessert and skip dinner may not have been the best choice for my diet, but they worked wonders on my mental health.

I may drown in debt after graduation, but the memories we made were priceless. I wouldn’t change my time at school with you guys for the world.

3. Our last year together is going to be great.

I don’t want to put any pressure on our friendship, but our time together is limited. We’ve got one year left together, and I know I’m not ready to say goodbye, so we better make the most of it. I don’t doubt that we’ll see each other later in life, but we won’t ever live within two minutes of all of our closest friends. After this year, we probably won’t ever get snowed in again together and get to hang around all day in a giant fort, so rest assured I’m taking advantage of every day of inclement weather.

4. I’ll miss you and I won’t forget you.

I’m sure once we graduate, we’ll keep in touch for a while. That’s the easy part. But soon we’ll get really busy. We might move even further away from one another. We’ll make new friends and nearly every aspect of our lives will change, but I want you to know that I won’t forget you.

We might not be able to hang out like we used to. We probably won’t talk every day. We won’t be able to take spur of the moment trips to satisfy our sweet tooth, and you won’t be able to come over and vent about work, but that doesn’t mean I still won’t care about you. You were a huge part of my life for a few years. Soon we’ll each be embarking on our own journeys and I’ll be thinking about you every step of the way, even if those steps take us further away from each other.

5. Thank you.

Lastly, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being a friend to me. Thank you for making my life so enjoyable. Thanks for being you and letting me be me. Thank you for being by my side at a time in my life when everything was crazy and hectic and new.

Thank you for being there and supporting me and growing with me.