Have you ever felt isolated and like you have zero friends in college? If yes, it’s okay! Not everyone’s path is linear, and sometimes you meet the best-est of friends later in life. As someone who is far from their hometown, which has all my family and friends, it can be difficult to feel like you belong. The most important thing is knowing how to enjoy being solo, which is something I have been working on this year. As a current sophomore, I have started questioning whether or not I will be able to find a solid group of friends during my college years. As the quarter is coming to an end, I realized that being alone isn’t the worst thing, and creating a routine and doing the things you love helps so much.
Something small I do that always makes my day a bit better is getting an iced coffee. Coffee is just so good. A coffee recommendation for my Davis girlies would be Volt Coffee—their hazelnut latte is so creamy! I would also recommend Temple and Cloud Forest Cafe!
Another thing that I think helps remove the feeling of loneliness is working out or simply reconnecting with nature. Especially in the midst of a midterm wave and the end of an academic year coming soon, moving your body can help you get out of that stressed mindset. Try taking a class at the ARC, or simply walk around the arboretum.
A third tip would be to involve yourself in clubs; it sounds so cliche, but it genuinely creates a good distraction since it keeps you occupied. In joining clubs, you also use your social battery positively! I realized if I don’t make the effort to create connections, my college experience will be boring.
Another thing that I feel has helped me with enjoying being my own friend is finding a show you’ve been wanting to watch and starting it! I have binge watched so many shows because you get caught up in the drama and it gives you something to look forward to. Some show recommendations would be Insecure, Gilmore Girls (the best show in my opinion), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Derry Girls. The recommendations could keep going but these are just a few.
While social medias shouldn’t be used 24/7, apps like TikTok can be used to find inspiration and entertain yourself from time to time. I love watching aesthetic videos and seeing the various ways of editing and it inspires me to have a creative mind and make videos. Whether it’s days in a creators life or makeup routines.I love creators such as Mckenna Salazar, Molly Faye, and Amanda Diaz. Doing something that helps you grow in your creativity is important as it helps in other ideas, even in your professional life!
All in all, not having a big group of friends doesn’t mean anything! Sometimes a smaller circle has the most solid group of people in them. This is a reminder to do things you love, and everything will fall into place.