It's finally the day. All summer you've been impatiently waiting for this moment to come. Your suitcases are filled with every possible outfit, and you can't wait to get the heck out of town. Every thing is about to change and you're ready for it. A new home, new opportunities, and a chance to meet new friends. But, what about the old? Are you truly ready to go to college, away from your best friend? Is college going to be a chance for you to grow without having your better-half?
College is an opportunity to meet new people, but it also helps you realize how important it is to keep the old. My best friend went to college at a different school over an hour away. I believed everything was going to be fine right away, and it was. Welcome Week at my school gave me a chance to make relationships with other students, introduce myself to numerous organizations on campus, and become situated in to my living arrangements. But eventually, it all caught up to me.
I began to think about how my experience at college was and what it would be like if my best friend was here. My person who I went to for everything was not there when I needed her, and it didn't quite seem right. The laughs we shared the entire summer at home and through our adventures in Mexico were now memories, and I wanted it all back. It was difficult, but I was able to adjust.
This step in life is a chance for new friendships to blossom, but also a time for you to keep the old friendships alive. It's not easy - you'll miss the person you shared countless days with, but it's okay. The future is still ahead and a chance for you to make more memories.
Going to college can be a chance for high school friendships to end as well. I can guarantee you will face that hardship at least once. If they're important enough, though, hold on tight. Your friend will, too.
Seek out perfect long weekends that you can spend visiting your friend. Visit them at school when you have the chance - it will be as if things have never changed. Take the time to Facetime or call them when school isn't stressing you out. You never know when they may need that talk, too. They will thank you for staying in their life, trust me. Though you will take different paths in college, the roads will come together eventually. It won't be the easiest, but it will be well worth it in the end.
