Why did we ever think that going to college 500 miles away from each other was a good idea? This is a debate my best friend and I have pretty much daily. Obviously homesickness is expected, but missing your best friend is one the struggles of going to college that isn’t as obvious. Here are some tips to make it easier:
FaceTime dates, obviously
I’m sure everyone knows that FaceTime is a great way to keep in touch with people who are far away, but with hectic schedules it can be difficult to find the time to do this. It can be helpful to set aside a predetermined hour each week where you know it works for you and your best friend.
Watch the same movie separately together
You don’t have to be in the same room to watch a movie together! Especially not in today’s age of technology. Some of the best nights with my best friend are definitely spent staying in, watching a movie, eating snacks, and gossiping – it’s almost as much as fun over FaceTime as it is in person.
Complain!
Your BFF who lives far away is the perfect person to complain to. It’s easy to get annoyed with the people with whom you spend a ton of time with (especially in a dorm setting), so having someone to vent to who doesn’t know those people means that you know your words won’t come back to bite you.
Plan a vacation
Whether this vacation is hypothetical or something that you and your best friend actually do, the planning and anticipation is half of the fun! Especially during finals season, my best friend and I always send each other hotel website links, tropical photos, and vacation itineraries that would be the perfect way to recover from so much studying.
Visit!
This definitely isn’t the easiest thing to do – my best friend and I are always on the lookout for a calm weekend when one of us can get away from school long enough to visit the other. Sports games, long weekends, and birthdays are all good excuses.
Photos courtesy of Rachel Eisner, Volumeone.org