College is a time of growth and change. It’s a time for figuring out what you want to do with your life and meeting new people; for learning about the obscure and facing challenges. For many college students, college takes place at multiple different schools in multiple different states - and that’s okay. People come and people go in life, and I think that this statement is especially true during college.

When I started off my college experience I was nervous about making friends. College is such a big and foreign place that seems to be fast paced and ever evolving to stay on the cutting edge. It can be nerve-wracking. My freshman year I made several friends. I had some great times, going to homecoming, Halloween parties, and being involved in clubs. I did make friends, which was a relief, but a lot of these friends were only really in my life for a season. Whether they were there for a semester, an entire year, or just a summer, though, they were (and are) still important to me.

Honestly, I felt cursed that first year. I made several friends who then all moved away. They had to do what was best for them, but suddenly the person I could call on when I needed a plus one was gone, or my only friend in the new club I had started attending wasn’t there anymore. It was hard, making friends and then watching them leave, but now I know that this is just the way college is. It’s just the way life is.

I’m sure we can all remember friends from high school, or before, whom we were close to and haven’t talked to since. It’s the cycle of life. Sometimes it’s hard letting go of these friendships, but it’s necessary. Everyone must move on to what’s ultimately best for them - and sometimes that’s far away from you.

People change. Some may deny it, but I think one of the intrinsic capacities humans possess is the capacity for change. This change sometimes comes about because of the influence of others. Whether good or bad, we all influence and play off of one another. Occasionally, relationships in our lives seem to be there only for this purpose. To impose a change, and then to disappear. To promote growth, and then to move on.

I know that I certainly have had friendships that seemed to be just like this. They seemed to be there for only a short time. Short-term friendships, so to speak. These relationships, though, were important. Although I was often sad when they ended, now I can see how they helped me transition into college and to where I am now.

To those who were my short term friends, thank you. It was fun, all the late night IHOP runs, midnight dance parties, and awkward selfies. Now I know that there was a purpose and that we were friends for a reason, even if it was short-lived.