Friends Forever?

Many of us have been told that in college you will find out who your real friends are. In college we find ourselves with a new independence.

Photo by Catie Wilson

We begin to search for something that feels familiar. This search can create a sense of loneliness and despair. The separation from everything that we once knew can cause one to do one of two things. We can stay in their comfort zone and not reach out, or we can get involved on campus and create new relationships.

College is about finding out who you are, growing up, and learning how to stand on your own two feet. This can often be a long and challenging road, but it is one that must be conquered. It does not matter if you are enrolled in a prestigious university, or the community college in your hometown, when it comes to finding friends, as women we face many of the same obstacles.

Jessica Brooks, a student at Tulsa Community College, has felt this feeling of despair many times. With only three semesters left at TCC, she has made new friends, lost friends, and even rekindled some old friendships.

Photo by Catie Wilson

“I think that it is true that in college you find out who your true friends are,” says Brooks, “ I have had many friends move away, and the ones that I keep in contact with will be my friends for the rest of my life.”

Brooks, like many girls going through this change, has learned that if she puts herself out there, and makes herself available she has more of an opportunity to connect with girls that know how she feels.

“My first semester of college was one of the hardest times in my life. Even though I was in my hometown, I felt so out of place and lost,” says Brooks, “ I just knew I had to meet some new friends.”

There are many ways that you can connect with other girls at your university. You might have to step outside of your comfort zone, and it may require a little bit more of an effort,but it is worth it.