Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Berkeley chapter.

There’s a wide variety of people in college that are available to meet. There’s everyone from around the globe and back, and that one girl from you AP English class that you never thought you were going to to see again–but such is life. And it’s great-there’s always someone new to meet and something to do with someone who has had such a different experience than you. There’s so much to learn and see from spending time with other people that you wouldn’t get from staying home(not that staying home is a bad choice).

Yet, not all of these people that you meet are meant to stay in your life forever.

As in all points of life, there’s a beginning of a chapter, and usually an end. Each person you meet begins their own chapter in your life, although this does not necessarily mean that they will be written into your life permanently. For most people, you get to a crossroads where the chapter must end and you must both go on your separate ways because you run out of things to talk about, or common interests, or one of you realizes that there’s no real personal connection there that you couldn’t have found in someone else who’s more like you.

In these moments where the friendships you had turn to ends, it’s up to you to trim the messy ends and make sure no one leaves with their feelings too hurt in case you somehow fit back into each other’s lives in the future. Although fortunately deciding you need distance from someone doesn’t mean that you need to cut them out of your life completely, it doesn’t necessarily mean that that person will not think you are cutting them out of your life forever.

Yet, in some cases it is necessary to cut yourself some slack and give yourself some space. You are changing and growing and everyone else around you is changing and growing. Sometimes you need to live and let learn. Not everyone will match with your personality forever. At some point or another you may grow different directions from the people that you are friends with and it’s good to learn how to do that amiably.

Think of it almost as a friend breakup, minus the mess–for the most part.

The most important point I am trying to make, is that while people can come and go from your life, there will always be more people to meet. You will also have people that will stay in your life forever, so feel okay letting some of the people of the past go. Just keep moving, and you’ll find your people when you’re supposed to.

UC Berkeley class of 2021. My heart is in the mountains, and with any corgi I see. I'm interested in writing, yoga, running, hiking, boxing, playing piano, music, adventures, and studying psychology and anthropology.