It’s all fun and games to be the youngest of your friend group… until it just isn’t. Turning 21, starting your major, graduating- you’re late to all of it! At first you thought it was great having older friends. They’re more mature and also have more experience than you on a lot of things, so they can always offer you advice and warn you of what’s to come. But then they turn 21 and all of a sudden they’re going out without you and applying to grad school and jobs and leaving you behind. It’s a depressing, emotional roller coaster of a ride being the “baby” best friend, which usually goes something like this:
1. All of a sudden grad school apps, the GRE/LSAT/MCAT and job apps are all they talk about.
2. And you have no idea what they’re even talking about.
3. But they just keep talking about it and explaining it to you and telling you how much they have to do and how many apps they still have to do and when they’re all due and YOU. JUST. CAN’T. ANYMORE. Stop! You’re stressing me out! I’m only a junior! I still have another year, I don’t need to be stressing about this right now!
4. So then they finally shut up about it and just talk to each other about all of the graduation stuff… but then you just feel left out of the group.
5. They try to make you feel included again by just telling you snippets here and there of what schools they’re applying to. They ask you if they should apply here and there because y’all are best friends and they want your opinion. But, like, that school is so farfrom me!!
6. So I’m going to go with my “best” judgment and tell you no because I heard that school’s grad program is super bad and the professors are just awful and mean.7. Then when you ask them to hang out so you guys can finally cross stuff off their “before I graduate” bucket list, but they say they’re “too busy” with grad apps and school work and whatnot.
8. But even through your annoyance all you can think about is how alone you’ll be.
9. Then there’s the 3 a.m. cries when you realize they’re actually really leaving you and life will never be the same and we’re all growing up and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.
10. But then they remind you that no matter what, no matter how far or how long, they’ll always be there for you and you guys will be forever best friends.
College is fun; these are the years we’re going to remember- at least that’s what our parents say. But even as those fun years pass by, we’ll always have our best friends by our side to bring us back to that time and place.
Dedicated to my senior friends, and all of my older friends that already have graduated. Thank you all for everything.
Photo credits: giphy.com