Have you ever found yourself idealizing a group of friends in sitcoms like FRIENDS or How I Met Your Mother? Do you often find yourself relating with the main characters or dreaming of a group like that?Â
Throughout the seven stages of life, we come across thousands of people. While our friends change throughout our life, there are always a few people who will remain our friends forever! Yes, we are talking about the people you meet in college. Read on to find out why your college friends are here to stay!
You choose them and they are always in the loop
Friends you find in college are actively chosen by you. You network a lot and choose the people you get along with. Ideally, these aren’t the friends who are planning to leave! They don’t only know about your major life updates but are also aware of all the mundane things because they are part of your routine.
They know you too well
Remember all the lectures you skipped just to sit and talk with them or how you showed up to college after a breakup and they just knew?Â
With all the time that you spend together, they just know you, your crazy anecdotes of the past, things that you are up to and everything else that no one knows about you. They are most definitely the people who accurately sense when something is off-track with you.Â
You survived two lockdowns together
Well, we just couldn’t skip this point. We have cursed the spread of COVID throughout but since everything has a silver lining, this was the era of house parties via video calls and not just using Zoom for work! When just surviving a day felt like a task, having interesting conversations and discussions virtually with those select few friends definitely helped bear the lockdowns better.Â
You make unforgettable memories
Be it the drunk parties or the memorable trips (if you ever succeeded with them), the memories made with this set of friends just stay with you. You don’t have to visit your Instagram stories to refresh everything, they are always crisp in your mind. Perhaps, your parents telling you stories from their college days is the perfect evidence of this.
You have been there for each other
College is the most transitional phase of life and everything is changing drastically. You are constantly worrying about the next stage of life and you want someone to support you and have your back in everything you do. After all, stepping into the real world isn’t easy. Be it the job interview or the exam you have been preparing for or even a date you are nervous about, you’ll always find them hyping you up about everything you want to do in life! As Barney Stinson in HIMYM once said, “Whatever you do in this life, it is not legendary unless your friends are there to see it.”
Maintaining friendships when seeing each other daily or when going through a similar phase of life is easy. The real challenge begins when “real life” hits you.
Since these are the people you grew up with not only in age but also with life experiences, you don’t want to lose them, so here are a few things you can do to keep in touch:
Technology is the greatest blessing
We are on our phones all the time! Calling and checking up on each other every day might be difficult but remember the groups that you made to text each other? Keep them alive, share relatable posts, let them know that you miss them. The goal is to keep up with each other! Phone calls or random virtual activities once in a while would be the cherry on top!
Go on annual trips
You might have never succeeded with your Goa trip plans but once you move out of college and get into the monotony of life, you will need a break. What’s better than an annual trip to catch up with your friends and rejuvenate in the best way possible? Go make a pact with your group to make the trip happen every year!
Celebrate important days
As busy as you get, you have to celebrate each others’ important days. Be it the birthdays or success parties or anything important in life, you have to try your best to prioritise these days and show up. Parties are always the best way to get together. Don’t forget to carry some cute gifts too!
In the words of Amy Santiago, “Life is unpredictable, not everything is in our control but as long as we are with the right people, we can handle anything.”Â
If you have people in your life who you value and nurture, do not let them go, make efforts! You will definitely not find “your people” multiple times in life, so if you have already found them, nurture them and tell them they are important. After all, they will be your future bridesmaids or best men or even godparents to your kids! *winks*
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This article is for my friends from college and for people who have a group of close friends too. Aashna, Tanya, Jagrit, Disha, Harkaval, Bikram (or PTB), seven miles away or seven thousand miles away, y’all will always be my favourite people! I’d never want to get rid of any of you!
“You know, if we were in prison, you guys would be, like my bitches!”
~ Phoebe Buffay (FRIENDS)