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Finding Friends In College Can Be Harder Than Your Workload

I'm friendly, but I was friendless.

Claire Barckholtz

Jan 09, 2017

Saginaw Valley State University

Finding Friends In College Can Be Harder Than Your Workload

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Making friends has always come easily to me.

I get this quality from my mom. She has the ability to strike up a conversation with absolutely anyone. She asks questions to make the other person feel like she genuinely wants to know; which she 100 percent does! Luckily, I've gotten all of this from her. I love getting to know people. I love knowing all of their favorite things and what makes them tick. I'm pretty good at making conversation with people I don't know. My boyfriend's mom has always told me:

"You can always find something in common with someone, even if it's something small."

I totally agree, but for some reason, making friends this semester has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

My major is small. Twenty of us move from class to class together every day, all learning the exact same material. I wanted to focus on school my first semester, so I never really ate with any of them during lunch. By the time I was ready to make friends, groups had already been established and I didn't want to intrude. I don't live on campus, so I wasn't assigned a roommate. My roommate is basically my brother. I've joined school clubs, like the SVSU Odyssey community and I love the members! But I find it hard to strike up a conversation with them. My one close girlfriend lives just over an hour away so I only see her once a week at church on Sundays. I'm just a girl with faith in God, I don't find enjoyment in partying. Finding people who felt the same way was hard.

All of this makes me a little sad sometimes. I thrive on getting to know people, and knowing that I have a friend I can turn to in certain situations for help is really comforting.

Luckily, all of this is turning around for me. I've met a group of people recently that I have more in common with than any group I've ever known. Since I've met them last week, we've gone out to eat three times, gone to Skyzone and jumped our brains out, watched multiple movies and several episodes worth of Untold Stories of the ER, and spent New Year's Eve together. I think I've found my squad, and I love it.

What I've learned through all of this is that it's okay to spend time alone. During this time, I got to know myself and I did really well in school. Now, I've made a group of friends that I think will last a lifetime. Squad up!

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

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Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

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Thanksgiving break is over and Christmas is just around the corner and that means, for most college students, one hellish thing — finals week. It's the one time of year in which the library becomes over populated and mental breakdowns are most frequent. There is no way to avoid it or a cure for the pain that it brings. All we can do is hunker down with our books, order some Dominos, and pray that it will all be over soon. Luckily, we are not alone in this suffering. To prove it, here are just a few of the many deranged thoughts that go through a college student's mind during finals week.

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Finding Friends In College Can Be Harder Than Your Workload

I'm friendly, but I was friendless.

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Or at least try to do.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

2. I will look decent for class.

3. I will go to the gym more.

4. I will go to the library and study more.

5. I will meet new people.

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

2. Disappointed you let it get this bad

3. Distracted: When a 10-Minute Break Becomes an Hour

4. When the Yearning for Sleep Sneaks Up

5. In the words of Lorelai Gilmore "Coffee, Coffee, Coffee"

Oh, so done.

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1. When it's December 1 and you have seven things due, three exams, and haven't slept in three days.

2. So you stress.

3. And cry.

4. Then call your mom to cry some more.

5. After the pep talk, you feel determined to get everything done.

6. But, now you're tired.

7. And really hungry.

8. Suddenly, it's 2 a.m. and you have only written three sentences and your paper is due in the morning.

9. You've made it to Friday... somehow.

10. Then Sunday hits and you find yourself back at the Lib.

11. So you cry some more.

12. But, you fight through the tears to get everything done because you're determined.

13. In the end, you feel on top of the world because you made it through the last week of class alive.

14. But, now it's finals week so good luck.

The ultimate list and gif guide to a college student's brain during finals.

What does the world outside the library look like?

Can I read this entire book tonight?

I should have gone to class more often.

Did the professor even teach this?

What is the lowest grade I can get on this exam and still pass the class?

Should I just drop out of school now?

Finals are ruining Christmas.

Just wrote three sentences so time for a break.

Need. More. Coffee.

What is sleep?

I'm too stupid for college.

Brain hurts.

Time for a Facebook Break.

I think I'm dying.

When will I ever need this information in the real world?

I can't read any of my notes.

I need my mom.

When was the last time I showered?

I need study snacks.

The struggle is so real right now.

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

1. I'm so tired. I need a nap. Maybe I can sleep with my eyes open in class? Or pretend I'm not napping?

2. We have a test today? Why didn't anyone tell me? Did I know this?!

3. Can I quit school yet? It's only October, and I need a vacation.

4. The struggle is so real.

5. I'm so broke. SOS.

6. Stressed? Eat everything you own in your pantry and stuff your face with all your feelings.

7. "Did we have anything due in class today? Homework? Quiz? Test?" "Not that I know of..."

8. I need food. Where is the closest place to get food? I need it stat.

9. This is the longest day of my life. I need a drink, or two, or three.

10. Sleep? What is sleep? What a foreign concept.

11. When someone suggests going and studying in the library, let alone studying in general.

12. When the cafeteria or student center is packed and you can't find a seat anywhere so you literally have to sit in an abandoned corner.

13. When you see someone you used to hook up with. They see you, and approach you; so you have to pretend like everything is normal.

14. When you get your exam and realize you didn't study as much as you should have.

15. When you crush it on an exam or paper that you totally bullshitted.

16. I need a grande, extra strong coffee to get me through today.

17. When the professor announces you have a project due the following week with no instruction on what it's on and how to do it.

18. Is it Friday yet? Where's the weekend when you need it most?

19. It's freezing in here. I feel like I'm sitting in an igloo. I should have brought a jacket or worn long pants.

20. Did I remember my book? Damn, I forgot the book, and of course I need it for that quiz in class.

21. I would pay a million dollars to not go to class today; or actually never again.

22. I need a hoverboard to ride to class. Maybe then I wouldn't be running 15 minutes late to class every day.

23. Oh she/he's cute! I wonder if they're single. Who are they texting? They're BF/GF? I wonder if they think I'm cute. Could they be a potential new bae?

24. Why is there never any parking? I pay thousands of dollars a year for one parking spot to be open.

25. When it feels like you've been in class for an hour and you look at your phone and it has only been five minutes (I'm crying on the inside).

26. When the professor asks if there are any more questions at the end of class and someone raises their hand.

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