One year ago, if you had told me that I’d be moving over 300 miles away from my best friends of 15 years, I would have either laughed in your face, burst out crying, or both. However, that is the reality. To go from seeing the same people every single day to being in a place where you don’t know anyone is definitely scary. The good news about this though, is that you aren’t the only one going through it. Everyone feels the same way when they first get to school.

Moving away from my best friends taught me a number of important lessons. The first being, distance really does make the heart grow fonder. It takes hard work, determination and a whole lot of love to keep a relationship stable while being so far apart. Perhaps that’s what makes our relationship so special. I have also learned to appreciate my best friends on a whole different level since going to college. Thankfully, we live in a very technologically proficient era. Through group-texts, Snapchat, Facetime, etc. we have been able to keep our relationship as strong as before, if not stronger.

This experience has also allowed us to develop into more of our own persons which, of course, is nothing to complain about. We have all had our own unique experiences while we’ve been away at school, ones that we can talk, laugh, cry or scream about. Through this, we’ve developed a deeper, more meaningful bond with each other. It’s okay to be worried about distance interfering with your relationships when you go away to school, so here are some tips to keep those relationships just as strong as before.

Check-in

Life at school can be hectic sometimes, but don’t forget to check in with your friends to see how their lives are going and stay updated with their current events. This also lets your friend know you’re thinking about them which is always appreciated.

Listen

If you’ve had a hard day, you’re going to want to rant to the people who know best but be sure to return the favor. The key to any sort of relationship is communication, and that can’t be one-sided.

Call

Whether it’s a video call or an actual phone call, hearing your best friends voice is really special after a hard week. Some messages can’t be conveyed well through text message and that is when it’s most important to pick up the phone and have an actual conversation with your friend. I won’t ever forget calling my best friend and her bursting into tears when she heard my voice for the first time since we went away to school.

Moving away from a friend is hard, I won’t sugar coat it. But it will teach you more about yourself and your true friends. There will be days when all you want to do is be in the same room as your best friend, watching Netflix and eating junk food but that just can’t happen, and that’s what’s most upsetting. Just keep in mind, that the time spent apart from each other makes the time together, that much more special.