Two years ago I was receiving my college acceptance (and rejection) letters just around this time. My concerns centered around which school would offer me the most money, which school would have the best programs and services, and where would I see myself spending the next four years. After making that decision, the more social concerns hit me. Will I make friends? Especially because I was going to a commuter school, this was something that terrified me. Although I am far from antisocial, being put into a place where I knew absolutely nobody was something so foreign to me, and I was worried I would not find the courage to open up to others after being surround by the same 350 people since the sixth grade.

Many people I know who decided to stay home had the mentality that "school is school," and that was that. They kept their friend groups relatively the same from high school. I am not knocking this at all, some of my closest friends are from high school...but there is something missing from the college experience if you do not jump out of your comfort zone and get to know new people.

With that being said, school should be more than the classroom. It is very difficult to make friends by just sitting next to someone in Law 101 and texting each other about the homework last night. Not only will your resume be worth more with a club or two added to it, you will actually gain a group of people with similar interests, but many different backgrounds and that will be an education in and of itself. I grew up in a predominately white, middle-class neighborhood. We all had similar upbringings and thus, our perspectives were pretty narrowed. College opened my eyes to so many different cultures, and all I want to do now is explore them. I have the utmost respect for people who did not have it so easy and continue to work their butts off to build a firm infrastructure for their careers.

I am overjoyed with the friends I have made in college. I never expected to love them the way that I do, and I am so thankful for that. It is essential to surround yourself with people who have similar goals as you in order to succeed. The difficulty of finding motivation within yourself all by yourself is immense, but to have people to bounce ideas off of and to support you will boost your confidence exponentially. Being around people with different backgrounds can open you up to different outlooks, and even strategies, of how to handle any situation you are in. You will know how to react to other cultures and learn to respect them rather than question them. Without even knowing it, a conversation with your friends can better prepare you for the future than some classes ever could.

The difference in high school was that there really was not too much at stake. Sure, if you wanted to get into an Ivy League school or make a Division 1 team, your goals were pretty intense. However, a lot of us were very unsure what we wanted. We could not see too far into the future and friendships were more about having fun. I would argue that the relationships we have as we get older become much more cherished; we need genuine encouragement and understanding. It just goes back to the fact that we are maturing, and I find it difficult to go back to my friends from high school and not revert back to the person I was then. There is a sense of nostalgia with them, and holding on to that is not a bad thing. However, there is a time and a place, and that is why it is so crucial to welcome different people in your life and strengthen those friendships. You never know where it can lead, but trust me when I say it will be deeply rewarding.