When I first arrived at college I was so excited for a world of new opportunities awaiting me. Growing up, I had always been surrounded by female friendships. I had a tight-knit group of friends that I had known since Kindergarten and we were inseperable. But moving away to college was a different story, with so many new faces and different personalities I realized quickly that forming deep, long lasting friendships was going to take more effort than I expected. However, I also realized that building strong, female friendships in college was one of the most valuable experiences I would have.
Female friendships are not only important for emotional support, but also for personal growth and building confidence. College is one of, if not the most, transformative period of your life. Life after high school is going to be filled with new social and academic experiences. You’re going to be pushed out of your comfort zone and learn to navigate new situations. What makes female friendships so special is that they provide a space of emotional vulnerability. There is so much empowerment in having a group of women around that genuinely want to see you succeed and get everything you want out of life.
Projecting a positive mindset into the world and onto the people around you is going to attract like-minded people. When it comes to building meaningful friendships, it’s important to understand what qualities are most important of yourself. What are your core values and morals? Are you someone who prioritizes making others feel comfortable or included? Are you more of an emotional thinker or a realist? All of these qualities are going to be so important in finding life-long friends. That’s not to say you can’t have friends with differing personality types, but the most uplifting and optimistic people in your life are going to share the same values that you do.
Strong friendships are built on respect for one another- respect for each other’s opinions, boundaries, and individuality. You may not always agree with your best friend, but what matters is that you respect each other’s perspectives enough to be able to communicate openly. When you truly feel comfortable and safe around someone, you’re okay with not always seeing eye-to-eye. That’s why it’s important to find the friends that you can talk things through with.
People appreciate when others take genuine interest in their lives. Ask your friends about goals, dreams, and struggles and really listen. Listening allows people to feel heard. Even if you don’t say anything, that person will find themself feeling closer to you. Show them that you care about their well-being. Friendships are two-sided so be sure you’re putting in effort to learn how you can best support the people you care about. They’ll take notice in your effort to understand them, and you’ll form a deeper friendship.
The best way to meet people that you could build potential friendships with is to get involved with things you love to do. Put yourself into a space that makes you happy and surrounds you with people who enjoy the same things as you. This goes for relationships as well, if you’re doing something that brings out your positive side then you are going to find people that only enhance that feeling. For me, I started my journey of close connections by going through formal recruitment. I always played sports growing up and was constantly surrounded by a team, and finding my sorority helped me to have that same kind of bond. It can be hard to put yourself in situations where you don’t know many people, but college is for growth, and there’s so many people in the same position as you that are looking to make lasting friendships while we’re here.
Female friendships in college are an invaluable part of the experience. They provide a sense of belonging and security that’s so different from anything you’ve known. As you navigate your way through school, work, and social life, don’t doubt the ability of the women around you to offer you support. Building true connections with people takes effort, but the memories, lessons, and personal growth are worth it. So embrace the process of making female friendships, and don’t forget that you are never alone in this exciting new chapter of your life.