One of the hardest things about the college life is finding your group of people. By “your people,” I mean those friends who you just know will be there with you through all the good times, the melodrama, and those awkward, silent periods in between. These are the people who you feel like you could be friends with for a lifetime.

When you are in college, there is no way you will find these people right away; the friends you make during orientation weekend aren’t going to be your best friends for life. While I am still friends with a few people from my first year of school, I have found that most of the friends I consider to be “my people” are people I have really gotten to know this year. These are people I have shared so many memorable experiences with through my jobs at my school’s information desk, my RA job, and even through some really odd encounters that forced us together for the better.

It may take a while, but you will just know when you find “your people.”

You know you have found your people when every time you see them anywhere, you automatically stage one of the most awkward “friend-reunions” that anyone has ever seen. I, as well as said other friends, get way too excited to see each other anywhere, and are not afraid to publicly embarrass ourselves by doing that dramatic run and hug thing or waving at each other like idiots. Because you are so excited to see said people, the judging eyes of those around you will always fade away.

You know you have found your people when you feel at your utmost comfort around them. When you feel like you can truly be yourself and accepted for who you are, you are surrounded by the right kind of friends who will be there for you when you are down in the dumps. You will feel safe enough to be able to share all of your negative thoughts to them, and you are confident that they will know exactly how to bring their spirits up. You can reach out to them, and they will be there to give you the best pep-talk in the world.

You know you have found your people when they just get you.

They understand all of the little quirks that make you who you are. They remember all of the little things about you, and they will bring these oddities back into relevancy at the most surprising of times. They may tag you in the coolest cat video on Facebook because they know you can’t get enough of your feline pals. They may surprise you with a set of kitchen supplies because they remember all of your baking Snapchat stories or a notepad that coincidentally features your trademark catchphrase.

They may text you one random word, an inside joke, just because they know it will make you bust a lung laughing.

You know you have found your people when you get really excited to do things for them. These things may be small, like writing them a thoughtful letter, but the intense feelings of glee you have for surprising them is a sure-fire way for you to know that you have found a forever person.

Sometimes when I get an idea for a random act of kindness for someone in my life who I really appreciate, I get so excited that I have to surprise them immediately. If you get a doable idea late in the night, you may be up through the wee hours of the morning making it happen. Doing nice things for them suddenly becomes a natural occurrence, and you don’t have to think about it anymore.

You may not have your people right now, but when you do, your heart will be full of a bubbling glow of happiness that will never seem to run out.