As we grow older, we often find that life takes people in different directions. People chase their goals and adapt their life to their needs. This can lead to people losing contact with each other as they move around. People can often move far away or leave their hometown for jobs or school. However, this does not mean that your relationship with this person has to be sacrificed.
I have had a steady group of friends since high school. We did everything together. We hung out during all of our breaks and constantly talked to each other throughout high school. However, as we started applying to colleges, I realized that we would most likely be separated since we were all applying to colleges around the country and in different states. This idea proved to be true in the coming months when I realized that I was attending college miles away from my friends in upstate New York, while some of them were also going to college out of state.
However, I promised them that we would still keep in contact ad not sacrifice our friendship. We would work together to make this work, and we did! I wanted to share some tips on how we made our friendship work through the internet:
Have an active group chat
Having an active group chat with your friends allows you to talk casually on a whim whenever someone wants to share some news with the group. Group chats are great for talking, sending memes and videos, and planning new activities.
Plan time for video chatting
One great aspect of technology is the ability to video chat face to face with people regardless of the distance between you and them. Set up a time to video chat with your friends when you’re all free to catch up in real-time. This is better than texting because it feels like they’re there with you!
Watch movies together online
There are tons of streaming platforms, such as Netflix Party, which allows you to watch movies simultaneously with your friends while also chatting. This is a fun activity that you all can participate in when everyone is free.
Discuss when everyone is on break/plans to visit
Often, students will come back to their hometown during breaks at college or occasionally visit from their job. Make sure to discuss with your friends to coordinate a date when everyone will be in town together so you can plan to meet up with them in person.
Take quizzes online together
Buzzfeed has a Buzzfeed Quiz Party feature that allows you to take quizzes with your friends. It’s super fun to discuss your results together and compare them with your friends.
There are many other ways to keep in contact with your friends, but these are the main ones that I utilized throughout the transitional period of going to college that my friend group endured. It is absolutely possible to keep in contact with your friends if you all put in the effort to do so. Make sure to check up on your friends and appreciate your friendship for prevailing through any obstacle, no matter the distance!