In my General Psychology class last semester, I learned that having a large social network is very important. In fact, those who have a smaller social network or none at all are more likely to be depressed later on in life. For some, the idea of making more friends can be intimidating or can even seem like a hassle. Ever had an experience where a friend you were oh-so-close with ended up being completely fake?

Some of our past experiences have a huge impact on our future decisions. My biggest advice to those who may be scared of making friends is to just be yourself. As simple as it sounds, showing others your true personality will surely attract friends who are there to stay. There's a quote that says, "Your vibe attracts your tribe." Whatever your interest may be, there is definitely someone out there who is just as obsessed with it as you are. So there you go, you made a new friend. What's next?

You grow your friendship by spilling all your secrets and telling each other everything you know. You reveal all your likes and dislikes and slowly become familiar with each other's personality as if you've known them for years. Time moves on, but you and your friend are as strong as ever. He or she has become your go-to for literally everything.

Now, here is where it may get tricky. Ever have the feeling that things are going great, nothing is ever going to ruin this moment... and then something ruins the moment? I hate it too! You may think your friendship is as strong as ever and nothing would ever break this bond but then you notice a couple changes. Either your friend is choosing to study more rather than spend time with you or another person comes in between your friendship. Slowly, you both start to fade and the friendship that you both thought was unbreakable is now gone, just like that.

What do you do? You're back to square one? You've just lost your best friend, the one you told everything to, the one who had your back, the one who promised to never leave you. It can be tough to deal with. Do you just mope around and hope someone comes by? No! Here's the key: You've got to treat friendships like breakups. Don't just sit around and hope someone will want to be your friend. I'm sorry but that's just not how the world works.

If you want something, you go out there and get it. If you want a friend, you go out there and socialize until you connect with someone who you feel could be a friend. I've seen many people just get depressed and worry about the friend who left them. It's sad to see because they just take it so hard on themselves. Here's my advice to you: Don't be afraid to socialize. It can feel scary when you're back to level one but I promise that you won't feel sorry. Let loose and have fun! You're too young to keep worrying about others who don't deserve your time. Make the most out of life and go out and get what you want!