The last few months of senior year flew by for me. My sports season was coming to an end and every morning was a silent battle between feigning sickness to skip class and suffering through unnecessary drudgery of school. Why did I need to go anyway? Classes were basically over as if they mattered to my college GPA anyway, and I was too busy thinking of college to care about the rest of high school. It was time to say goodbye to all things (and people) high school, and say hello to collegiate life.

The summer after high school ended, however, proved that leaving my friends would not be as easy as I had first anticipated.

Over the summer, parties were thrown and movies were watched as we realized that we were running out of time. We tried to cram an entire lifetime of memories into three months before everyone went their separate ways. Secretly, though reminiscent of happy high school times, I was excited to be able to break out onto a new scene and meet new people. I felt as if I would keep in touch with my current friends, but would find my true best friends and bridesmaids in college.

So I came into college with a new roommate from another state and chose to live on a floor away from my high school friends who had also come to UGA. It was a great decision, one that I do not regret, but you never really miss having a history with someone until you go so long without it.

What I learned is that there is no reason to give one up for the other. Old high school friends and new college friends can coexist in our lives quite easily. Most of the time, they end up intermixing. Many a world has collided in my life once a home friend and a college friend began to strike up a friendship themselves. Friends from both eras of my life make up a vast network of people who care about me and want the best for me. I didn't have to exchange one for the other; on the contrary, I just grew the group of friends I already had.

I now have shared memories to relive over the summer, as well as unique stories to tell. In my opinion, a little bit of both creates a well-rounded life. I still go to the gym with old friends and study with new ones. I can spend time with whoever I want whenever I please. I still have a great group of people to go back to this summer and spend time with, as well as seeing if they have grown and changed as much as I have.

College has a way of forging character, especially in the choices of people that we spend time with. I believe that one way I have grown this year is in my choices of friends, choosing those who build me up and who support me. I hope to continue that trend throughout my college experience.