College is known to be a time when you make friendships that can last a lifetime. However, that may not be the case for everyone. I’ve met amazing people during my freshman year that I hope I will remain friends with for a very long time, but I still have a very close-knit friend group from back home. We all attend colleges in different states around the country, and it can be really hard not being able to have the college experience with them. Be that as it may, when we’re together, it feels the exact same as before, and nothing has changed.
I feel like we’re all still very close and do a great job of staying in touch because it’s something we all genuinely want to do and try our best to put the effort into. Here are some things that we do on a day-to-day basis that keep us closely bonded without feeling like a burden.
Facetime
This may feel like an obvious one, but I know so many people who lose touch with one another because they don’t Facetime, call, or text. I also believe that Facetiming feels much more intimate in comparison to just calling or texting. My friends and I text or call basically every day, but when you get to see the other person’s face it makes it feel more like a real in-person conversation. Facetime is a better way of having a more serious conversation as well, rather than just reading a text or over the phone. We can also show each other more of our lives, like what our dorms, classrooms, or other parts of our new schools look like.
Get To Know Each Other’s Friends
My friends have also gotten to know my new friends at college. They follow each other on social media and talk to them with me on a call or Facetime, which can help bridge the two groups and give my best friends more of an insight into what my day-to-day life looks like. When my friends from home visit, it also makes things less awkward since they already know a lot about each other. It’s also just a great way to get to know new people.
Take Advantage of Social Media
Another great way my friends and I keep in touch is by regularly updating each other and sending things like music or TV show recommendations to everyone on social media. We have a big group chat with 8 of us on Snapchat and make Spotify blended playlists with all our favorite songs. Keeping people in the loop of your favorite interests keeps the connection going and gives everyone something to talk about. Social media is such an easy way of doing that.
Visit Each Other
My friends and I are also lucky enough to be able to visit each other when we can. I know that may not be possible for everyone, but if you have the means, planning to see one another gives you something to look forward to if you’re feeling down about anything going on at school. Even if it’s just a pit stop on a road trip back home or flying out for the weekend, seeing my friends and getting to be a part of their new college life is worth it.
It can definitely be hard to keep in touch during college, especially when a 5-minute drive to a friend’s house turns into a 5-hour flight. The biggest thing that ties my friends and I together is that we all want to put in the effort to stay close. We don’t keep each other in the background and instead make each other a priority in our new lives. Although we don’t get to see one another for the majority of the year, doing all of the necessities to stay best friends keeps us tight-knit.