Staying Connected with College Friends: A Guide to Ending Loneliness

When the school year ends and summer break begins, it can feel like you are uprooting the life you have built here at the University of Michigan. After eight months of late-night study sessions, coffee chats, midnight sweet treat runs, chill hangouts, and core memories, suddenly you and your college friends are scattered across the country—or even the world—for the next four months. This newfound time away from friends and your schedule at school can leave a void and create a large sense of loneliness. 

Here are some ways to cope with being alone and stay connected with your college friends, during the summer.

Visit Your College Friends

One of the best ways to stay close over summer break is to visit your college friends! Whether it is for a weekend trip or spending time in their hometown, seeing your friends in person can decrease your feelings of isolation and separation. Visiting gives you a chance to see where your friends come from, meet their parents, siblings, or pets, and make new memories outside of your routine on campus. However, this option can be very expensive, especially if it is across the country. Between gas, flights, and other travel costs, visiting isn’t always a possible option—especially for students working summer jobs, having internships, or saving money. Prioritizing visiting friends that live close by, in the same state or city, can be just as valuable. A lot of students are in-state, so if you are also in-state, chances are that you have friends in the same vicinity as you!

FaceTime

Technology makes it easier than ever to stay in contact. FaceTime is a great way to keep up with each other’s lives. These conversations don’t have to be long, sometimes a spontaneous five-minute check-in can do the trick! You can talk about your day, do an activity over the phone, have a deep conversation, or just chat for fun. Facetime makes it super easy to cope with long-distance friendships, even if it is just for four months. 

Send Weekly Photo Dumps

At the end of each week, you can share ten photos, or as many as you want, with your friends in your group chat. You can send your favorite meals from the week, pretty sunsets, fun activities, or anything in between. It’s a perfect way of staying updated on each other’s daily lives without needing to talk about every detail. 

And just like that, you will be back on campus and reunited with all of your best college friends.

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