By, Adrianne Hutto
One of the hardest things about coming back to college after the summer has ended is being away from family and friends that are still at home. It can be difficult to maintain these relationships while you are at school because you get overwhelmed by all the other things happening around you. Especially with the changes that the pandemic has brought, it seems that year to year we are constantly adjusting to different things. With this being the first year with any semblance of “normalcy” it can be overwhelming trying to juggle school, extracurriculars, work and friends while trying to stay in touch with those back home. Here are a few tips to help keep in touch with those close to you.
- Don’t wait to reach out.
Oftentimes we make excuses for not reaching out to people back home by saying things like, “they haven’t texted me in a while so it’s okay if I don’t reach out to them.” But this isn’t always the case. Like you, your friends are busy with school, work, etc. and may not have the time to reach out to you. Sending a “missing you” or “thinking about you” text is a nice way to remind your friends and family that you’re thinking about them.
- Send photos and audio messages.
I personally live far away from a lot of the people close to me and two things I do to keep in touch are sending photos and sending audio messages. Due to mine and my dad’s busy schedule we often don’t have time to talk on the phone, so once a week I’ll send him a collection of photos that showcase what I’ve been up to recently and give him a little run down. With my friend Clea who lives in Italy, time zones make it really difficult to get on the phone and talk, so we send audio messages to each other recapping what we’ve had going on. This is a really good way to make sure you know what’s going on with the people you love even if you don’t have time to talk.
- Set a time to talk.
It’s okay to schedule your friends into your life. If you’re like me you use google calendar and the reminder app for everything, putting in these apps a reminder to call someone doesn’t make you a bad friend. When my mom was in law school she had a standing call time with her best friend from home, and this was back when cell phones hadn’t been introduced. It really helped her to keep in touch with her friend because it became a part of her routine.
- Don’t miss out on important holidays or events.
Even if you aren’t talking to your friends as often, the best way to show you care is by reaching out during big life events or holidays. Always remember to wish them a happy birthday or let them know you’re proud of a recent achievement. Just because you can’t be there for it doesn’t mean you don’t care.
- Be honest.
Let your friends and family know you’re busy. That’s the best you can do. By sending my articles to my grandfather each week I can remind him that I’m thinking about him but also make it clear that there are things that I’m doing while I’m at school that make it hard for me to stay in touch as much.
Remember that your friends and family know how much you miss them. Don’t get overwhelmed trying to reach out to everyone every week, as long as you make it clear you’re thinking about them, they’ll be happy.