University is a time where I met a lot of new people. Being in a city that is still pretty foreign to me and COVID-19 made it even harder to make friends. Some of these friends I haven’t heard from since my first year and some I speak to every day. Some are new, some are old, and some are from my hometown. Some of them may only be around for the time I’m at university and some of them may move forward with me to become lifelong friends. As much as I may want to know what to expect moving forward, I know I can always rely on these friends when the going gets tough.
The Best Friend
Although I was unsure of the idea that “you meet your best friend in college” when I was first moving into university, I can easily say now that I did. Often this person comes into your life unexpectedly and you just sort of click instantly, and for me, this is exactly what happened. The other idea that “you can only have one best friend” is completely false. This idea goes away in university and I quickly learned that I can have multiple close friends that I see as my “best friends” and that’s completely normal. Personally, I have a couple back home and a couple at university that I go to for everything and talk to on a regular basis.
The Roommate(s)
These are the friends I started out with in my first year of university. My roommates varied: Some were good, some weren’t so good and some made me wonder how they survived this long. When you’re in residence you don’t get to choose who you’re paired with, and you’ll have to be friends with your roommates for at least a year. Though this isn’t always true as some move forward to rent a house or apartment together after residence, for me, when COVID-19 cut residence short it also cut this friendship short. I haven’t really spoken to any of my previous roommates as they’ve all moved forward in their own friendships and university careers. However, after COVID-19, I moved into a three-bedroom apartment not knowing the girls I was moving in with whatsoever and they ended up being lifelong friends. We do a lot together and I am beyond grateful to have them in my life, I’d even consider them to be best friends.
The Friend Next Door
These friends started out as the people down the hall from me in residence. My residence was small, so I ended up knowing most of the people in my building. We hung out often and had get-togethers on Fridays or weekends. Typically, these were the friends that I’d go to parties with, participate in Laurier events with or go to Wilf’s with. But once again, because of COVID-19, these friendships didn’t last beyond the first year and quite honestly, I couldn’t tell you what half of them are doing now. Residence-life friends may last longer than this, but in my experience, they don’t.
The Classmate
These are the friends I met in a class in that I typically shared a major. These friends had taken a lot of the same courses as me over the years (either in different terms or in classes so large I didn’t know they were in them). A lot of times these classmates became friends when I worked on a group project with them or needed notes from a class I missed (or vice versa). They were also someone I’d sit beside every class or have had previous classes with (a familiar face to me). After the classes were over, however, many of these friendships tended to fade. There was the chance of continuing them beyond the class, however, if this wasn’t accomplished within the term that I was taking the course, it would typically get forgotten until they became a familiar face in another course.
The Study Buddy
Often these friends are also classmates, however, this is not always the case. These friends kept me on track. They helped me maintain my focus and give me a peer editor for my work. This relationship is usually founded on mutual success. These friendships are often made with someone I trust, who will help me better my work. A lot of times, unfortunately, these friendships do not last much longer than a term or two.
The Party Friend
This is the friend that is constantly out and whom I’d likely met at a bar or party and had a good connection with. They’re the girls that would come up to me in the washroom or at a house party, way too drunk, and tell me that I “don’t need no man” and that I am “gorgeous”. They’d add me on socials and tell me that “we should hang out sometime” but this rarely happens. They hit up the bar often or go to house parties and are constantly posting their drunken adventures on social media. Sometimes being friends with this person isn’t easy when you’re not invited along for the ride, however, keep in mind that they’re often not the ones willing to make the first move. A lot of these friendships survive on the basis of mutual friends and it’s difficult for them to know when to invite people v.s. when not to, so they typically just don’t bother. If you’d like to hang out with them more often, I’d suggest reaching out to them first, so they feel more comfortable knowing that you’re willing to go out with them again.
The Friend of a Friend
These are the friends I met, usually at a group party or event, that I became acquainted with seeing often. I wouldn’t usually hang out with them alone, but I would hang out with them when our mutual friend is around or within group settings. This happened often in residence, where someone would have a friend of their own (outside our residence) who would come out on group outings with our roommates or the “friends next door”. These are people that I’d call a friend because I got along with them and they’re often around, but likely wouldn’t overstep to invite them without my friends/roommates saying so.
Friends are important to have and to hold, regardless of whether they become lifelong friends or not. They provide a reliable support system and will help you in times of need – both academically and personally.