As spring break for FSU passes and my first year of college comes to an end, I’ve discovered just how hard it is for me to keep in touch with my old friends from high school. I’ve made some wonderful friends in college, but a single 20-minute texting conversation with old friends makes me realize how much I still love them. There’s always something to talk about with these people, even friends who’ve changed a lot since graduating high school.
These people mean a lot to me, and you can probably say the same, looking back at the memories you have running around town after school. Still, it’s so hard to stay in touch through a screen in a 200-square-foot dorm room. So, here’s how I keep these connections close, even while juggling relationships with my roommate or friends I’ve made in English class at college:
- Use every break to your advantage
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Some college breaks are way too short, especially with spring break being only a week-long, but that’s still enough time for me to find any way to hang out with old friends.
Recently, a group of my extremely close friends went to the mall to shop for clothes for our high school’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter. I had no interest in buying formal clothes (FSU literally gives away professional clothes for its students once a semester), but this was still a chance for me to wander into a Claire’s or an H&M while pointing at every Sanrio item we spot.
Any hangout you could possibly plan with your hometown friends while the dorms are closed for the break is a prime opportunity. You could go to the mall like I did, a skate park, or even catch up on each other’s lives while you were away in your town park.
- Try screen-sharing apps
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When a school break ultimately falls through — family vacation, work schedules, or even the dreaded assignment — hangouts are possible even at a distance!
Discord, FaceTime, WhatsApp, and even professional apps like Zoom and Google Meet all have screen-sharing capabilities to plan a hangout with friends. You could play a round of Jackbox, watch a movie, or watch TikToks to see each other’s reactions. It’s also fun just to browse the internet together to see what you can find. The digital hangout possibilities are almost endless!
All this takes is a decent Wi-Fi connection and a planned time; it’ll feel like your hometown friends were in your dorm for just a little bit.
- Send letters by mail
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As easy as it is for me to send Reels to my friends’ Instagram DMs, there’s a level of personality that becomes lost. Social media can still be fun; I keep in contact with my hometown friends there every single day, but keeping each other as pen pals can make us feel so much more connected.
All you need to do is buy some stationery and stamps, and get to writing! I’ll talk about my new favorite song, the plot of the video game I started playing, or the most recent on-campus event I went to. The letters don’t even have to be fancy or all that cute; you could write on a scrap piece of calculus homework and mail it over, although the decorating aspect is the most fun to me.
It’s easy for us to go to college and forget about the people we became inseparable from in high school, but it’s also so important to keep in touch in any way we can.
Even if your schedule doesn’t allow you to do any of these things to stay in touch, a single DM is enough. Your closest friends don’t require a lot of understanding to understand that you love them.
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