Maybe it hits you when you pay your deposit. Maybe it hits at Meet Me at the Avenue. Maybe it hits May 1st, when you and all your friends wear your new college t-shirts to school. Maybe it hits when you walk across the stage at graduation. Maybe it doesn’t hit you until the U-Haul is packed and you’re on the road to your new home, Saint Mary’s College. No matter when it hits you, it’s always hard and shocking to realize you’re going off to college, and everything is about to change.
Whether you’re from the Michiana area or you come all the way from California, college and SMC can feel like a whole new world at first. I’m not just talking about the new world of community bathrooms, block schedules, and South Bend weather, but I’m also talking about the new people, friends, and ultimately sisters you’re about to meet, and also all the old ones you have to say good-bye to.
Unless you moved around a lot, you’ve spent the first 18 years of your life probably with the same people. Sure, your friend group may have changed from time to time, but you’ve always had that feeling of comfort and familiarity. You always knew just who to turn to when you had a problem and that your friends are always just a quick drive away. But now you’re all going in different directions, having new experiences, and meeting new people, and there’s no denying it: it’s a little bit terrifying.
Gone are weekly sleepovers and after-school Starbucks trips, and instead it’s trying to squeeze in time during holiday breaks and working in Facetime sessions during your hectic college schedules. I wish I could say that when you all get together, it’ll feel just like old times, but that’s not necessarily true. It’s also not necessarily a bad thing. You’re growing up, you’re changing, and that is a GOOD thing! The time you spend with your hometown friends will be different because YOU’RE different, but they’ll still be just as special and fun.
I also wish I could say you’ll stay in touch with ALL your high school friends, but in a lot of cases, it’s not. The people you only occasionally hung out with will fade into just likes on Instagram and Facebook, and maybe a chat in Target when you see each other, and only your core group of close friends will really stay in touch. That’s okay, too. You weren’t meant to cling onto every person you meet forever, and the people that really belong and matter in your life will stay there, I promise. Your list of hometown friends will decrease in quantity, but increase in quality.
Gosh, this all sounds so awful, but I promise, it’s not! You’re growing up and meeting new people, and so are all your BFFs, and you’re making room for a bunch of amazing sisters you’ll meet during your college journey. At the end of the day, you’re hometown friends will always be there, just not as often as they once were.
So for now, cherish the moments you have with them. Have slumber parties, bonfires, and ice cream dates. Take lots of pictures together at graduation, go to all the grad parties (even if they are awkward), and gush over each other’s new dorm stuff. Cherish all these moments together, because when you all reunite at Thanksgiving, the memories and fun you have now will be what kept your bond together throughout that freaky new world of college. New sisters are great, but your OG sisters will be there forever.