As I come down from the apex of my undergrad career and ride out these last remaining vestiges til' graduation, I can't help but think about the connections I've made and whether or not they'll last. Having graduated high school with around 200 people (I can't even remember now) I only stayed in vague touch with two people, despite the fact that a good quarter or third of them live in my very small town.
Given my draconian schedule for the bulk of my undergrad, my focus was entirely on my academic and professional development. Subsequently, all my connections have been professionally-geared or based on working together rather than socializing for the sake of socializing.
I've discovered a similar attitude in a lot of other commuters at MSU, where connections are rather ephemeral and not necessarily meant to last beyond the class, club, or lab. It's always been a sort of tacit agreement - I only became acutely aware of it after another commuter explicitly told our group that despite exchanging contact information, he had no intention of staying in touch after the class concluded.
We all laughed it off and concurred but I was struck by how it had appeared to go without saying. True to our bond, no one stayed in touch or made an effort to connect. I wonder if that happens more with us commuters, who are eager to go home or need to get to work after classes and are not particularly incentivized to linger and socialize.
I'm sure some also have a bustling social life and perhaps prefer to compartmentalize the two, focusing on their work at school so they can party-hardy with their friends later.
As of now, my main interactions consist of my co-workers in the lab and my executive boards, rather my former executive boards since my dual presidency are now at an end. I would lament the situation but the cycle remains, though we've worked well together no one is interested in socializing beyond the professional sphere.
We do our shifts, have our meetings, collaborate as needed, and we go home.
I often joke that I've spent more time with my faculty and mentors than my peers, but it is pretty accurate. I make rounds through two or three of my professors' office hours every week and I've even added a few of them on linkedin. I do plan on staying in touch with my professors for the purpose of mentorship and networking opportunities but I do not see myself staying in touch with too many of my peers.
