Maybe it's the 8 AM class that you are always struggling to stay awake in, let alone have the will to strike up a conversation with your neighbor. Or you have to sprint from class as soon as it ends to make it to your next class rather than chatting while strolling out of class. Whatever the reason is, it is almost absolutely necessary to have at least one friend, if not two, in a class.

By friend, I mean someone you feel comfortable saying hello to when you walk into class or wave at when crossing paths between classes. It is a person you are certain to find a seat next to when you come in late. It is a person you have swapped phone numbers with and possibly snacks.

I advocate for this "buddy system" because it can save you from dozens of potential problems during the rest of the semester.

First and foremost, if you have someone you know, along with their phone number, you can save yourself from a dozen mini heart attacks. For instance, if you missed class that day and want to know what you missed, you can simply shoot your friend a text.You will save yourself the time it takes to construct an elaborate, professional email for the inevitable single sentence response.

Additionally, your friend will be the one you can complain to who will fully empathize with what you are experiencing in the class. They understand exactly what you mean when you say you hate the way the professor says "liberry" instead of "library" when they are making eye contact with you. In my chemistry class, this one guy and I talked once outside of class about the test. Before each exam, we always wish each other good luck despite rarely talking otherwise. You can bond over procrastinating the next assignment or studying for the same test.

We all know class can be boring sometimes. Even in a subject you love. With a class friend, you can always lean over and make a joke on the sly. Sure, you can message your best friend on Facebook, but then you would have to explain what exactly is going on for the joke to make sense. Nonetheless, it is always going to be a "you had to be there" joke.

The best part of having a buddy in a class is in the case of group projects. If you get to choose a partner, or if the professor assigns whoever is beside you (which happens to be your friend), then you spare yourself the formalities and begin working on the group project.

Lastly, it won't be awkward if you make eye contact at the dining hall. Instead of eating alone, you can sit with them and discuss what happened in class today or even that group project you aced together. You might even make a few connections by networking through them.

Basically, having a class friend has a plethora of benefits.

Make it a goal next semester to have the contact information of at least one person in each class. Simply by introducing yourself, you can make that one lecture all the more bearable, or even fun.