Being a college student constantly on the go can put a strain on friendships regardless if they are in your school or in your hometown. You may even live with some of your best friends and not see them as often as you'd like.
Low maintenance friendships are structured around the understanding that life gets busy and not spending time with the person as often does not mean you no longer want to. You do not have to check in daily. It is understood that you cannot respond instantly and meetups may become less frequent.
I learned what a true low maintenance friendship looked like my first year of college. I moved away from my high school friends and had to get accustomed to sending occasional texts between classes, studying, extra activities, and jobs. You get to see them occasionally on breaks or virtually, but it is nowhere near the time you are used to having. Every year following, I have had to adjust to doing this with some of my campus friends because we are all running in different directions at high speed.
When done correctly, you can thrive. You can do your daily routine and take solace in the fact that you have friends who have got your back and vice versa. You can find the balance between sending texts and snaps and actually meeting up.
However, I have noticed that there is a fine line between low maintenance and no effort friendships. Only talking to a person in the time of need is not a healthy way to maintain a friendship. I recognized how easy it was for me to landslide into this habit. I would find myself lazily slipping into the vortex that is university life. It was convenient to send an "SOS" message when I needed to something or just wish him or her a happy birthday.
It is important to remember that low maintenance friendships do not equal no effort friendships. Supporting your friends, even from the sidelines several states away, is still an integral part of the relationship.
