The pandemic had settled in after I finished high school and was transitioning from school to college. This meant borders were closed, and there were lockdowns and curfews across cities. One important part of this elongated transition from school to college was being able to spend more time with friends from school while simultaneously making friends at college. There were several others who were also in this transition phase, but everyone experienced friendships differently. Few people got to spend more time with their school friends, while some were able to immediately find new friends in college; few people were by themselves while some had the best of both worlds.
To be able to spend more time with school friends meant that we could still share our experiences of beginning what can aptly be called a new chapter in our lives. From sharing how the orientation week was to the funny online class incidents, the topics of our hangouts had come a long way except for one common thing – exams. One of the biggest silver linings was to be able to have people to talk to during the rough waves that the pandemic brought over. We could properly bid farewell to each other and still stay in touch.
Meanwhile, everyone was trying to socialise through the blue screens with a bunch of emojis at their disposal, class rants and group projects. Making friends in college was suddenly a luxury, a task that was supposed to be done apart from the heavy academics. With lack of a physical space for contact, we had to give extra time to participate in clubs and conversations to understand the black silhouettes on our zoom screens. Regardless, I have learned that constant effort and time is a must in building friendships online. To check up on each other, to listen, and to share are processes that we ultimately get the hang of, even if it is from behind our screens.
Not everyone might have been able to forge proper friendships and that’s okay; we should still cherish it and acknowledge it as a part of the journey. Friendships most of the time are a natural process that occurs when people share common interests, experiences or are in the same vicinity. To be able to continue striving for it even during these challenging times is a courageous move in itself and it’s something that each and every one of us should be proud of!