Most of us can attest to the fact that making new friends is challenging. Starting over in a new place with a clean slate, although it can be relieving, is not easy. This is essentially how college begins. Yes, you might know a few people going to the same school as you, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t need to meet new people.
Your first friends in college can be the deciding factor in how you feel about your new home. This does not necessarily mean that these people will become your best friends for the rest of your life, or even the rest of college, but they will most likely be the ones that get you over the first hump of homesickness.
Being a shy, out-of-state student when I first came to college, I got lucky. I quickly became inseparable with one of my new roommates. Literally. Our closets, desks, dressers, beds, bathroom cubbies and bathroom drawers were all located directly next to each other. We almost didn’t have a choice of whether or not we should be friends. Luckily, we hit it off. She was the one I took my first day of school picture with, the one I stayed up all night with sharing our fears and excitement about our new lives together.
She also happened to be the one who initiated the friendship between me and my other first friend (as much as we hate to give her the credit). This friend was older and took us in as her own. She helped me when I was sick my first week of school, gave me rides to the airport and train station when I needed to go home. She advised me on my classes and life in general. These two became my support system, my security blankets, my best friends. This is not to say that we didn’t make other friends, but they are the day one kind of friends that will always mean something to you. When you look back at those first few weeks, they are the friends in memories that stick with you.
To this day, they are still my best friends and I am forever grateful. So find those first friends, make them count. Let them help you and guide you, as you do the same for them. If you have lost touch with them, call them up. They remember you and are thankful to you as well. Your first friend in college, whether you stay close or not, is arguably as important as the last. They will make or break that first quarter for you. So remember to stay open and enjoy the company of the first friends you make in college.
