Making friends is a rather difficult yet important experience in college. The friends you make really make or break your time as a student and affect your mental health and social life. Whether or not these friends stick around, it is important to have them. The memories you make and the bonds you build during such a transformational time in your life makes it all so much richer and better with the friends around you. However, I truly believe that it is key for you to make friends outside of your major.
I agree and understand that having a classmate you know can make a good or bad class better. Having someone by your side and understanding your academic struggles can be very helpful. The networking, late studying and mutual interests can all be great benefits to surviving a class and a good drive to keep you engaged. But the further along you get in college, the more competitive it may get. Constantly being around people who are applying for the same internships as you, also trying to get the best score on exams and having similar academic resumes can make it hard when a choice is at hand. Will you get jealous that your friend got an internship you wanted? Or will they get upset that you got a better exam score? These are questions that will arise between you and your major alike friend and will potentially cause issues or a drift. That looming divide that doesn’t allow for your friendship to reach its full potential because of competitiveness.Â
That is why my biggest advice to college students is to join a club not related to your major – that way you can meet other friends you won’t compete with while having mutual interests. Ironically enough, in my second year, I have yet to make a new friend in my department. But this tip that I share has helped me so much in my college experience. Joining clubs, like Her Campus, where people who are interested in the same mission has been so rewarding. I have been able to make a majority of my friends through this or other clubs and have had the same pull and effect that making a friend in a class would have. However, I never need to worry about whether they will academically sabotage me or cut ties over a decision I make in my career. I can fully indulge myself in the friendship and fully focus on strengthening the friendship as it is, without worry that they will hurt my future or the friendship dissolving because of non-personal reasons. I never want to lose somebody because of my career, my academics or something that truly shouldn’t involve the other party. By making friends outside my major, I give myself more opportunities to learn more about others interests and lives, while finding commonalities and mutual interests between us without having an academic divide.