Natalie Barletta – Opinions Editor
One of the tricky things about college is the fact that your high school crew was once joined at the hip and now is proceeding to go in different directions. You’re all going to different schools in entirely different locations. This can mean one thing–change is coming quick, whether you are ready or not. The question is how do you keep those friendships from the halls of high school, and living completely separate lives from your friends? Is it possible?
I believe that it is possible. I met my best friend Gabriel through one of my classes in high school. We’ve since graduated, and Gabriel now goes to Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn., which is about 13,000 miles away from SCSU. Although we lead entirely different lives now, and even in different time zones, we still manage to be closer than ever. So, how do we do it?
Believe it or not, absence makes the heart grow fonder. In high school, we see our friends everyday for at least five days a week. Now that we are going to different colleges, we often see each other regularly for four months out of the year. Not seeing the people on a daily basis makes it much more valuable for when you do see them. In some cases, it could be when you go home on the weekends or for breaks. In my case, it’s during summer and winter breaks. Every time my best friend comes home, we make it a point to go out for coffee and catch up on our lives for the past few months. Therefore, the time that you do spend with your ‘home’ friends, is much more valuable because you don’t have as much of it as you used to.
But what to do when you’re apart? Thanks to modern technology, keeping in touch is easier than ever. One of the best things about having a smartphone is that you can text your friends pretty much all day everyday. It’s simple, convenient, and easy. Keeping in touch in recent years has become easier thanks to the smartphone.
In addition to texting, smartphones are actual phones too! Calling may be old-fashioned, but when you’re thousands of miles apart, it’s sometimes the best way to contact your friend. Usually, whenever I get on the phone with my best friend, our phone dates can last for hours. Sometimes, we even set up a phone date specifically to talk on the phone for an extended amount of time.
Do you have an iPhone (four or later), iPod touch (generation four or later), iPad, or Mac? One of the best things about having one is that you can FaceTime or Skype using the front camera. It’s awesome for someone who wants to actually see their friend, and it’s almost as if they were there. Also, it’s free so it’s perfect for the broke college student. However, be warned that if you have faulty internet, you could possibly run the risk of having faulty connection. What if you don’t have any of these things? Not to worry. As long as your computer has an webcam, you are able to Skype!
Also, the newest iPhone app, Snapchat, is something that is very helpful for the people that you see everyday. For those of you who don’t know, Snapchat is an app that helps you send pictures to your friends. It’s perfect for you to keep in touch with those who are far away because it helps you keep them up-to-date with what’s going on.
Keeping in touch with friends that you no longer see everyday can be difficult and rather discouraging. As long as you both understand that there are going to be times when you can’t talk, it’s pretty much doable. However, it’s something that can be rewarding, especially if it’s a good friend. The best part about having friends in a different part of the country? Getting to visit them and seeing a completely different part of the country.
