How to keep friendships from home as strong as possible while creating new bonds at school!
Coming to college is a huge period of adjustment for so many reasons. You have to get used to a new living space, figure out how to navigate your classes, and of course, make new friends. It can be hard to create bonds with new people if you have great friends at home. While I love my incredible best friends that I’ve met at UNH and I cannot imagine my life without them, it can sometimes feel like you’re giving the friends you see more often more of your time. My core friend group from home is split up between University of New Hampshire, University of Delaware, University of South Carolina, and Endicott College. Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks to still stay in touch with your hometown girls even when you aren’t with them.
1. SHARE your Experiences
Even if you think your day was boring or if you have nothing fun to share, tell your friends about it anyway! Just because you and your friends are living different lives in college doesn’t mean you have to go separate ways, it just means you have even more to talk about now. I like to send my friends silly little vlogs of my days and the funny things that happen, and text them all the time too!
2. Be supportive of their New relationships
Not only is it hard to make friends for yourself in college, it can also be hard to watch your longtime friends meet new people. It feels like you’re missing out on a part of their life. Remember that they’re trying to fit in and find their groove just like you are! I’ve only met a few friends of my girls on FaceTime, but I feel like I’ve known them all forever now! Even though you aren’t there, talking to your best friends’ new friends can help you feel like you aren’t missing out on anything huge or losing any contact.
3. Plan things to look forward to
Having something to look forward to always makes the time go faster! Whether it’s a weekly group FaceTime call or a trip to go visit your friends at school, having a set plan is really important in maintaining a long distance friendship, especially in college. Everyone’s lives can get really hectic and setting aside some time for each other is crucial. Carving out specific time to talk to each other and catch up is what helps to keep your friendship as tight as it was when you were all living in the same place.
Although it’s really hard, having long-distance friendships is so worth it. I am so blessed to have people in my life that I get to miss so much and that make saying goodbye so hard, while also having the best friends in the world right by my side every day. Learning how to navigate all aspects of college is so hard, but coming home to your friends over the summer makes all the struggles all worth it.