Childhood v.s. College Friends

I’ve been thinking about this concept for quite a while, and I think this comes from the guilt I feel when spending more time with the friends I’ve made in recent months rather than my high school friends.

In high school, you are more likely to be surrounded by the same people every day and start to either appreciate or dislike that idea. The friendships you make during those years have seen you grow up. These people have seen you experience your first high school crush/relationship, the ones that have supported you in any sports teams/clubs you’ve been in, and those with whom you went to homecoming/prom!

From living close to school and each other, you would hang out with them quite often. In my personal experience, I hold these people and moments very dearly in my heart and continue to do so. However, a misconception people tend to have is that once you graduate, your high school friendships are to be over and forgotten. While in some cases, that may be true -- there are a few friends I don’t talk to anymore or know anything about -- but this won’t go for everyone. Even if this were to happen, it’s all a matter of time. We grow up and move on for the better academically; new bonds are formed. 

 I was lucky enough to form friendships my freshman year, stick with those people to this day, and create new friendships my second year. Still, many students find it hard to form relationships and stick to a group of people because we tend to switch classes every semester, every year. College friends are a newer concept to me, but even so, I realize these people have been with me during different stages of my life. From the moment we all flunked an exam to the events we stay for at school and to the newer plans we make to go out, they stick with you when times get tough.

Though it’s very odd to think about it this way: why versus each other? Why should they have a title when, in the end, they’re all still my friends? There is no one-upping in friendships or saying one friendship is better or more important than the other. 

For those who are reading this and find themselves relating to any guilt, as I have before, I think it’s time we move past that feeling, embrace the new relationships we have going, and appreciate the old ones we had or continue to keep.

As time passes, more bonds are created while others are lost, and that’s just life. It’s about transitions and balances. Other than that, remember the phone goes both ways: stay in communication when you want and can, stay true to who you are, and know that you’ll find a place of your own or a place to fit in with others.

Hang in there :)

— tune in for more stories from #lachurrosstories