Throughout my life, I’ve realized that I’ve had a variety of different best friends, each from different places and for different reasons. They have supported me through thick and thin, for better or worse, and I love them all equally.
I’ve also realized that many other people probably also have these kinds of friends, and since I’m all for shared experiences….here it is, the unofficial breakdown of best friends.
#1: The childhood best friend
This friend has been around for a long time, probably since birth or close to it. They’ve watched you go through puberty and your awkward phase….that’s how you know they’re a keeper. No matter what, you know they’re always there for you, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
Though you may not talk all of the time, you know you can send them a text telling them you need them and they would drop everything, just like you would for them. They have silly childhood stories and pictures of the two of you back when you thought (insert fashion trend here) was a good idea.
#2: The unfiltered best friend
Now this best friend...ooh girl, when you get together with this best friend, all hell breaks loose. There is absolutely no filter that exists with this friend. You’re loud and crazy and fun; you don’t care who sees us or who’s rolling their eyes at your shenanigans. They’re the friend you can’t wait to get wasted with when you both turn 21.
What’s awesome about this is friend that you don’t have to put up any kind of front with them. I’m not saying that you can’t be yourself around your other friends, but you know how sometimes there are certain things you can’t talk about with certain people? Yeah, that doesn’t exist with this friend. You can talk about anything, and yes, I mean anything. This is the friend inspires both cringeworthy weirdness and some of the best conversations you’ve ever had.
#3: The work best friend
Admit it: you have a work best friend. We all do. You have to have a person that you can make eye contact with and simultaneously roll your eyes when that one regular says something creepy...again. They make you smile and giggle uncontrollably, and they make your shift just fly by. The best part about this friend, though, is that you’re still buddies outside of work, and when you get together you can just rant about your boss or a terrible customer or why you don’t understand why they moved a chair in the break room just an inch to the left and they just get it.
#4: The male best friend
I love having a guy friend in general because they give you a different perspective than girls can, which sometimes is both refreshing and necessary. A guy best friend, though, is one of the best things ever. They’re your automatic date for weddings and events that you don’t want to go to by yourself, not to mention automatic boyfriends when your great aunt asks if there’s anyone “special” in your life at the moment. (Sometimes, though, people you’ve just met will think he actually is your boyfriend, and explaining that you’re just friends is both awkward and annoying because you know that no matter what you say, they’re always going to think you’re secretly in love or something.)
They’re also a surefire way into the minds of other guys. They’re basically relationship translators; I’ve found myself asking him what “Sup?” means in guy language or wondering if this text I’m about to send will imply that I’m too desperate or clingy or needy or crazy or....I think you get the point.
#5: The roommate best friend
I’m lucky enough to have chosen my first-ever roommate, and I’m happy to say that I love her. If you’ve found yourself in a similar situation, then you know how awesome this person is. Living with them is basically a 24/7 sleepover that you never get tired of, full of rants, Netflix, and plenty of ice cream. You get meals together, you go to events together...basically the only time you’re apart is when you’re in class or in a meeting. They understand you better than anyone, mainly because they see you every day and most likely have photographic evidence of how you look in the morning. This is the friend you send goofy Snapchats to, the one you have a bunch of inside jokes with...they’re the dream when it comes to best friends because they’re always just a few feet away.
#6: The best friend who shares your major
If you don’t have a close friend within your major, then I highly suggest you get one quick. This is the friend that you take all of your required classes with so you can suffer (whoops, I meant study) together. They help you brainstorm ideas for papers, but they’re also your automatic partner for class activities. What I love most about this friend, though, is that when asked about a paper/project that’s due pretty soon or a test that’s most likely the next day, they almost always utter the best phrase a student can ever hear: “I haven’t started yet either.”
#7: The older/more experienced best friend
Older friends are the best, especially when you’ve gone to the same school. They’re unofficial older siblings; they guide you not only through relationships and general life issues, but they also know which professors are awesome and which ones to avoid at all costs. They also know what professors like to see and hate to even look at, which is helpful when trying to write papers or work on projects. They’re also always #lifegoals because they always manage to have their lives together way, way more than you do.
Now you may be lucky enough to have a friend that fits more than one of these categories; if that’s the case, then that’s awesome. Keep them. If you’re more like me, however, then cherish your friends and remember how important they are. Don’t forget to tell them how much they mean to you, even if you think they already know—it doesn’t hurt to remind them.
