Saying good bye is definitely one of the saddest experiences that we can go through. As college students, it happens more often than I could ever have imagined. The problem with college is that you switch roommates, your older friends graduate year(s) before you, and you also have to say good bye to toxic relationships that you may have outgrown over the years. Unfortunately, saying good bye to friends you thought would be around forever is one of those “things I wish I knew before going into college”.
Friends in college are the ones who really make the experience. They are the ones who can push you out of your comfort zone and introduce you to something new that you never would have tried if you didn’t meet them. In college, I can’t explain how many food places I was against trying until my friends tricked me into going and trying it. My friends are the ones who have gotten me to go out on nights where I just wanted to be in my room alone. They are the ones who have convinced me to keep pushing when all I want to do is give up. I hate to say good bye to the friends who have helped me get out of my comfort zone.
I was once told about how having a negative person in your life can bring you down too. When someone who is always upset, negative, and unhappy is in your life, you will notice how it affects your feelings. Negativity is contagious and I have to say good bye to it.
No matter how long you have been in college up to this point, you have likely had a classmate, roommate, friend, or at least an acquaintance that has graduated from college and begun their career. Anyone leaving your life can change the environment that a campus has, which may be upsetting at first but it may allow for the campus to even feel more exciting!
I am officially saying good bye to some of the most important people of my college career. No matter what happened between us I want you to know how genuinely happy I am for the both of us to grow out of bad habits. I know you’re just as confused as I am about life so I hope you figure out what you need sooner rather than later. For these people, I hope this doesn’t mean we don’t keep up with each other’s lives a year or even 10 years from now. If you ever need someone to talk to always remember that I am only a phone call away.
I want to make clear that saying good bye is by no means negative, although it feels as though it is. One key I have learned in college is that change is good. You’re probably thinking “that’s easy for you to say”. Let me explain, change is one of those fears that everyone gets instilled in them since we all have a routine and enjoy following it. But think about if we never changed; never moved, met new friends, tried new foods, or learned more about our careers. It would not be beneficial for anyone as we would not change much once we got over the age of 10. Being in college is actually the best time to accept change as there are so many different people around you who have a variety of interests that they would love to introduce you to. Use this to your advantage. Saying good bye can be empowering.
For the friends I have had in college, thank you for everything. Although I still have one more year of my undergraduate education left, I am saying good bye to everything I have grown used to over the last 3 years. I am saying good bye to anyone and anything that has held me back and prevented me from being as happy and successful as I have strived to be. Not only am I leaving behind people who have hurt me but I am saying good bye to people who have changed my life. If you were one of those people please know that I will be forever thankful for the abundance of conversations we’ve had, every time we’ve shared a laugh, and each memory that I will never forget.