I would say that about seven or eight times out of ten, the friends you make freshman year, especially at the beginning of the school year, are not the friends that you are going to keep for the next four years and beyond. But, by your junior year, your core group of friends is set. You probably live off campus, in a house or an apartment, with a group of people, consisting of girls or guys – your pick. No matter what, these are obviously people that you trust, care for, and share everything with. They’ve certainly seen you at your best, and most certainly, at your worst. They are there for you no matter what. I definitely have those people in my life, and while I would do anything for them, I am here to tell you why it’s important to also allow outsiders into your coveted circle:
- They provide an escape. Because they are not in your close circle of friends, they are more likely to not be as open with you. This means that all that stupid stuff your friends won’t let you do, this friend will. They will allow you to be careless, think freely, and be irresponsible, which you need to be sometimes.
- Isolation. This is something you don’t want. You never want to be known as that person who is only friends with their small circle. We’re in college; it’s the best years of our lives. We should be branching out, meeting new people, and having new experiences. This friend will prevent that from happening. Because you two don’t technically “run” in the same circle, you each have other friends, and that provides the opportunity for you to make new friends. They don’t have to be your best friend, but if anything, you certainly have more people to go out with on the weekends!
- Advice. Speaking of college… while this is the best time of your life, it’s also probably one of the most confusing points. A lot of things are going on around you and it’s hard to handle that all by yourself. Having an “outside” friend gives you the ability to go to someone else for advice. Sometimes, your close-knit circle is blinded by how close you guys truly are and doesn’t see the whole picture. Now, I’m not saying they won’t give you fabulous advice- because mine certainly do- but sometimes the best thing is when someone who is outside of the situation can give you advice because they aren’t clouded by any other factors.
- Never a boring moment. These friends are the ones who can sit with you for hours and do nothing. You can watch that Sex and the City marathon for hours and hours, or you can scroll through Ryan Gosling’s Hey Girl tumblr. There are no boundaries here. Of course, you can do this with your circle and it would be just as fun, but imagine adding more people to your life to do these things with.
- You can never have enough friends. Is there any need to reiterate this statement? We’re young; we’re looking to have fun; why wouldn’t we want to surround ourselves with as many people as possible? Especially people who are fun! And you never know, the more time you spend with this person or group of people, the more you may really get to like them and soon enough, they could be joining your close-knit circle.
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