Growing up, I didn't have a lot of guy friends. This is not particularly surprising, since I have been to all-girls schools for most of my life, and the four years I did go to a co-ed school were in that phase in life when guys and girls cannot be friends. So by age 17, when I was applying to college, I knew I wanted to go to school in a co-ed environment. I loved the support that comes with being in a single sex environment, but I felt the need to move on.

When I was younger, my closest guy friend was my little brother. Linus, although he is now six feet tall, is a little less than two years younger than me. Our close age difference allowed us to bond over the same experiences, but as our interests changed and we spent most of the year thousands of miles away from each other, we grew apart. He is still my best friend and someone I can turn to, but it just is not the same.

Photo by Grace Ng

My mom once told me a lot of her friends were male when she was growing up. It does not surprise me that many of my closest friends are now male, but it was still a shock nonetheless. After all, the only males I saw at boarding school were my teachers and their spouses, their children (often under the age of 10), and my friends’ brothers and boyfriends on the rare occasions they visited. Needless to say, it was quite the transition going from living with 300 girls at my boarding school to a 5,000 person co-ed university. I have not heard a male voice (other than my teachers') in a classroom in three years, let alone lived in the same dorm as 50 other guys.

Even though boarding school has prepared me to take on the world with confidence, I worried that it would be “awkward” (I am an awkward human to begin with, so that is not exactly helpful) to just “hang out” with guy friends. What if people think we were dating? Thankfully, my fears diminished over time and I am now more comfortable spending time with them alone, whether it be outings to find garlic bread, watching "The Office" or grabbing lunch in the dining hall.

My guy friends are like the big brothers I never had. They are supportive, often changing my outlook as they have a different perspective from my girl friends. They make great listeners and give good advice (when they aren't messing around). They are also protective, in a good way, for they would walk me back to my dorm after I finish working for the school newspaper at 2 a.m., and most likely fight those who try to hurt me (or break my heart). They are the ones who give the best hugs and bring me fries when I am hungry at midnight. Even though I have only known a lot of them for a few months, I cannot imagine college without them.

Thank you for everything, bros.

Photo by La'Dericka Hall