As a senior in college, I can say that one of the most beneficial parts of my college experience hasn’t been a class or a job – it’s been the people who surround me. Living with three of my best friends has been one of the most valuable experiences in my life, teaching me the significance of friendships not just in college, but throughout adulthood.
Waking up every day in a home full of people who only see the best in you, even when you don’t see it in yourself, is truly something unique. Whether it’s listening to me rant about a situation, comforting me during times of anxiety, or encouraging me to pursue opportunities, my best friends are always there to inspire me.
In college, it’s so easy to feel uncertain. With pressures of the future, assignment deadlines, and exams, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important for your own life and mental health. Living with my closest friends has shown me that whatever happens in my school life, I will always have a place within them.
Some of the best moments aren’t even the major ones, but the random weeknights when we all rot on the couch, laughing at a distant memory, or the mornings before class, wishing each other luck on the exam we stayed up all night studying for. Without the little moments and reminders that we are there for one another, it’s hard to remember that there is always someone in your corner.
I’ve come to realize that these friendships are shaping me into the woman I want to be in the near future. I want to always surround myself with people who encourage me, support me, listen to me, and make me laugh until I cry. Carrying the bonds I have created into my adulthood, which will be a big learning curve, is the necessary support I need.
At 21, I’m learning that despite grades and resumes mattering, the people you choose to surround yourself with matter even more. College only lasts four years, but the friendships you form have the potential to last for the rest of your life. With the anxiety of life after graduating creeping up on me, having three of my biggest support systems right down the hall makes it seem a whole lot less scary. As I continue to grow, I hope to become at least half as motivating, supportive, kind, and selfless as the three people I’m lucky enough to call my best friends and roommates.