How to Create Diverse Friendships and Intertwine Groups

This campus has so many confusing aspects and quirks…too many to name in this article, but some include Kranz Forum — which, due to its sunken nature, looks like an ashtray surrounding a mystical statue — our lack of parking, and our unofficial campus mascot: squirrels. There is a lot to learn, but do not worry, you are not expected to know the ins and outs of this campus. Even the senior members of our campus, including myself, still have questions that may never be answered.

Here I go with my first round of advice: The people you meet during orientation could be your absolute best friends for months or even years. But there are also people in other orientation groups or even in different years; do not be afraid to interact and befriend them. Sometimes you need to step outside the group you are comfortable with in order to find your best group of friends.

It can be hard to branch out and find a new group to fit in with. I know this firsthand, but it is sometimes the best thing you can do for your mental and emotional health. Remember, some of you are straight out of high school and are still heavily involved in the toxic habit of making cliques and excluding other groups and types of people. University is a great chance to break these habits and allow your mind to open to new opportunities.

These are the types of situations you want to get out of almost immediately and are why finding friends who are further along in their college journey is the greatest thing you can do for your happiness. These will be the types of friends who can offer advice from their own lived experiences when drama comes along.

This is not to say you need to break from friends you have already made, but it is important to turn to your more experienced friends when drama comes to get the best advice possible. When you receive this advice, remember to actually listen; try to implement the advice without it flying over your head.

For those of you who are living on campus, you do not need to do everything with your roommate. Sure, eat meals with them, hang out, and talk in your room, but when you become best friends with your roommate, drama from your friend group will creep into your dorm and could create unnecessary problems.

Becoming best friends with your roommate might cause you to isolate yourself from others and can create resentment towards either you or your roommate. When you close yourself off, people might make assumptions, which can make it difficult to find new friends. This is not to say being close with your roommate is a bad thing. You all can even have the same friends. Just ensure that roommate drama that could happen doesn’t force group members to take a side.

There has been a lot of advice in this piece, and I do not expect everyone to listen to it. If there is anything you take from this article, take this from a campus elder: We have all been through the same challenges you are going through; please do not go through them alone. If you see someone who seems like they know the lay of the land here, do not be afraid to ask them for help. Then, send them to me, because I could use their help as well.