At the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, I have made friends, lost friends and created friendships that will last forever. College is a challenging time figuring out a career path, campus and discovering new interests. However, friends help to get you through the hard times and make the good times better.
My roommate Emily recently fractured her fibula. For the past month she has been in a cast and on crutches, and it has been difficult for her to get to and from class. Emily and I live with two of our other friends, Jennifer and Nicole. All of us as roommates chipped in to give Emily rides to and from class, helped her get up the stairs in our apartment, and even took her to doctor’s appointments so she did not have to go alone. We might be a bit of a dysfunctional family, but I would not want to live with anyone else. As roommates and friends we take care of each other and have even more fun together.
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” – C.S. Lewis
The friends you make in college are the people who become your family away from home. When something goes wrong, like fracturing your fibula, you are going to want friends who will be there no matter what.
I ended up meeting my roommates in the dorms. I lived in Burroughs Hall and roomed with Emily. Jennifer and Nicole lived across the hall from us, and our friendship began with awkward introductions and lots of stories about high school. We had classes together, went to events together, and visited each other in the summer. As the years went by, our friendship grew and our conversations have turned toward future endeavors and how we are all going to stay friends. The universe happens to randomly put people into your life either as a lesson or huge blessing. My roommates were huge blessings as they helped me to achieve more and have helped me to grow into a person I am really proud of. But there are also people I have met who were not good friends. Those people have pushed me to be a better person and to also cherish the friends that actually matter.
I met so many wonderful people in classes, at events and through mutual friends. You never know who you are going to meet who might just happen to change your life.
Here are a couple tips for creating friendships:
- Do not pretend to be something you aren’t.
College is awesome because you will find so many people with the same interests and hobbies as yourself. Be who you are and do not try to be something you are not. Real friends will like you for exactly who you are, flaws and all.
- Talk to people.
I know, I know … this probably seems like it could go unsaid. However, in class, strike up a conversation with someone next to you. Knowing people in classes helps when you need to study or have a question about the homework. I have made really awesome friends from class because we talked to each other the first day of the semester. Also, be confident. Being able to make connections when you do not know people is a really useful life skill. Now that I am a senior, it is really important for me to forge connections in interviews and with people who could potentially help me get a job.
- Don’t worry about the people that don’t like you.
I am a people pleaser and always wanted everyone to like me. Reality is, not everyone is going to like you all the time. Do not worry about those people. Focus on the people who actually matter because it is much more fun to spend time with friends who actually care about you.
Caryn Reinthlaer, from Rhinelander, Wis., is a communication major with a public relations emphasis at UW-Stevens Point.
