7 People You Need in Your Pocket | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

7 People You Need in Your Pocket

Meet the team.

12
7 People You Need in Your Pocket

At college, especially at Howard, the initial relationships form mostly out of necessity. The first thing we do as freshmen is find near-strangers to split an Uber with for freshman parties. Depending on the depth of our relationships, these people may be only slightly relevant to you in broad daylight, or they may manage to filter into the long-term relationship category. After freshman week, we get tight with our hall mates. The lack of air condition, communal showers, and shared experiences make for a unique family dynamic. Sophomore year, we join organizations, leading to more situational friendships. However, convenience is not a trademark of relationships during upperclassman years. Our friends are all occupying off-campus roles and abandoning on-campus housing. Because we don’t just run into each other anymore, we see our relationships get more intentional. People begin to fulfill specific roles in our lives. I’m blessed to have a very eclectic array of friends, but I'd like to highlight some people that have proven to be essential to my development:

The Type A

Or the Type B, if you are a Type A, by-the-book type of person and in need of some unconventionality in your life. However, as a freer spirit, I need friends who love structure, organization, and timeliness. My friends who carry these complimentary qualities have helped to curb my lax personality before it became detrimental to the process of me working toward my goals.

The Health Freak

The mere presence of this person in your life makes you feel accountable for your health in regards to fitness and diet. Whatever combination of classes, internships, relationships, and organizational obligations the health freak has on their plate, they continually invest in their bodies, enabling them to meet day-to-day tasks with excess energy.

The Makeshift Mental Health Professional

As much as each of your friends loves you, not everyone has mastered that perfect balance of silence, input, and advice when you're pouring out your feelings. The Makeshift Mental Health Professional may not be a psychology major but reminds you that your mental health is of equal importance to your physical health, advising against engaging in behaviors that would lead you to emotional trauma.

The Political Correspondent

If you’re like me, you are overwhelmed by the influx of current events decorating the newspaper and television each day. The Political Correspondent is the perfect person to do coffee with. This news junkie and political savant already knows what’s new in the world and is ready to review every angle of the conversation with you, giving you facts to regurgitate in your daily conversations.

The Discoball

Something about this person turns any routine get-together into a party. I know exactly who this is in my life. She naturally gathers the most complimentary people, making for a stimulating, yet relaxing environment. Those qualities combined with her lively sense of humor and spontaneous spirit make boredom an impossibility for anyone within the vicinity.

The No-Filter... Person

This person always calls it exactly like they see it—not so much from an abundance of boldness, but from a lack of knowing how to be any other way. The charm of this person is that, even when they are calling you out on your mess or critiquing a situation you are sensitive about, you know their actions are rooted in love. This person issues out tough love like no other but will go to bat for you anytime you need support.

The Safe Haven/Mentor

The Safe Haven is almost always a bit older, lives off-campus, and seems to be above your undergraduate antics without being condescending. This person has been where you are, learned from it, and always has sagely advice on hand. Also, a place to stay for the weekend. Because of this Safe Haven, you have opportunities to sidestep calamities because they warn you ahead of time. When your peers aren’t able to offer you wisdom, this steady soul takes the baton and runs with it.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

2228
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

448810
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

21250
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Moana's Top 10 Life Tips

"Moana" is filled with life lessons that involve far more than finding true love as many other Disney movies do.

44317
Animated image of a woman with long dark hair and tattoos
StableDiffusion

1. It's easy to be fooled by shiny things.

Digital image of shiny gemstones in cased in gold. shiny things StableDiffusion

Tamatoa created a liar filled with shiny things simply for the purpose of tricking fish to enter and become his food. He too experiences a lesson in how easy it is to be tricked by shiny things when Moana distracts him by covering herself in glowing algae so Maui can grab his hook.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments