Having a strong and steady support group is one of the most important things to have in college. Of course having a strong support group wherever you go is important. I formed some really strong friendships in high school because I shared so many classes with the same group of people. However, once college began, we all slowly drifted apart because each one of us went to a different school.
There's always FaceTime or Skype but having people who are closer and have a better understanding of your current situation will usually more convenient. I have many friends from my high school who go to the same college as me, but I still wanted to branch out. I tried to expand my social circle during my freshman year, and I developed several strong connections that I'm glad to say continue to remain strong. Yet, I wanted to keep going, but it grew more difficult to maintain those relationships. There were usually schedule conflicts, and when one of us was free, the other had a midterm the next day. I felt as if the relationships I had just formed were already slipping away from me.
When the first semester of sophomore year came, my schedule was packed. I overloaded on credits and couldn't fit much else into my schedule besides studying and partaking in club events. There was no day that I could say that I had free, and when my friends invited me to join them to lunch or dinner, I usually had to decline because I was busy at the moment or had already eaten and gotten comfortable in the library. Gradually, those invitations died down because my friends knew that I was busy. Through social media, I would always see them eating off campus or relaxing together in one of their dorms. I always had a fear of missing out, and I knew that I was definitely missing out, but I couldn't always have the best of both worlds.
With the little time that I had, I still was able to remain close with a small circle. These friends let me sleep over at their dorm so that they could wake me up for our 8am finals. These friends offered to buy me food or offered me food they already had in their dorms when they didn't have to. They supported me through the toughest semester of my college career. In the end, we pushed through together and I was relieved to have survived those three months.
Going into the second semester of my sophomore year, I wanted things to change. I took a lighter course load and made my schedule more flexible. I wanted to rebuild my relationships with my other friend groups. I made the effort to go to as many gatherings as I can, but I felt that the connections that they already formed were solidified, and I couldn't find my place in their circle anymore. I was upset about how I missed out on the friendships that I could have had. I felt like an outsider and as if there was an invisible barrier that I just couldn't seem to break through.
While I may not have had the strong friendships that I wanted, I managed to maintain a close group of friends who I am really grateful to have. It's true when they say quality over quantity. Being able to keep a small group of friends who consistently and constantly support you throughout life in general is one of the greatest things in the world and that is not an understatement.
