Welcome to the fourth week of classes! Crazy, right? Now three weeks have passed me by, and I only have 11 weeks left at Boston University. My time here has been transformative, to say the least; BU and the College of Communication have opened so many doors for me, and I know I am equipped to tackle whatever life throws at me when January comes around. Because of this confidence, I gained through both my education and experiences at BU, I have come to terms with the fact that I will be leaving this wonderful city in a few short months. What I haven’t come to terms with, however, is leaving my friends.
Thinking about my friends made me realize how much I have learned about friendship over the past three and a half years. Going to college, many people have the perception that their college friends are are going to be their friends for life. I believe I am lucky enough to have found some of these friends for life, but not without a nice blend of happiness, sorrow, confusion and gratitude.
The friends from day one
It’s okay to not remain friends with all your friends from the first few weeks of school. The first few weeks are an adjustment period, and everyone is trying to find people to surround themselves with. I remember thinking everyone I was friends with my first semester will be my best friends for the following four years. However, it’s inevitable that not all of these friends will remain in your life for four years.This notion is hard to fathom as a freshman because you don’t realize how much you are going to grow in four years. Unfortunately, this growth may not be together because as you find your niche, get involved in clubs and meet new people, these freshman year friends will begin to taper out. Losing a friendship is hard, but it makes you stronger and helps you re-evaluate both what kind of friend you are and what you need in a friend in return.
That’s not to say that none of your friends from the beginning of freshman year will be an active part of your life when senior year comes around. I have been fortunate enough to have a few friends that I have been friends with since my first semester, one of which I actually met before the semester even started through BU’s First-Year Student Outreach Project (FYSOP). I can not emphasize how much these friendships have meant to me; they have been a great source of happiness and support to me, and they have seen me at my absolute worst and best. If you are lucky enough to have at least one friend from day one, you are the luckiest person in the world.
The friends along the way
As I previously mentioned, you will foster friendships with people you meet through campus activities and jobs. During my sophomore and junior years, that’s how I gained many of my friends. At first, I was hesitant because I was caught up on the ideas that I already had friends and did not need new ones, and that the new groups I joined did not want to add a new friend to the mix. These notions are absurd. Once you open yourself up to new friendships and opportunities, so many doors will open. Suddenly, my circle of friends began expanding, and I had various groups of friends in addition to my friends from freshman year. The timeline in which I met these friends does not matter because each friendship is unique and holds a special place in my heart. Friendships I made junior year hold the same merit as friendships I made senior year. Some of these friends are even friends with other friends of mine from different groups (independent of me), which makes the friendships even better!
The friends you made a little too late
Finally, you will probably meet and befriend amazing people during your last months at school. There are some people that I am meeting for the first time and others that I have always been friends with but finally getting closer with. Seeing these friendships form is bittersweet because of graduation. But, the fact that I am graduating is not deterring me from forming these friendships. They are turning into great friendships that I want to pursue, even if there is not much time together left in the same place. Regardless of the situation, everyone should surround themselves with friends that make them happy!
