<p>So, my daughter has acclimated great to college life this first semester. Her social life is good and even though she is only 40 minutes away, she has not come home until this weekend. So what am I worried about.</p>
<p>The first semester of her school they have learning communities. This means that she has 3 classes with the same 20 people. It is a great idea. It makes the kids get to know each other very well. But next semester is coming quickly and she has to choose courses. She has expressed some fears that she will not remain friends with her new friends. </p>
<p>So now I am concerned also. Any support is welcome,
Mbe</p>
<p>Encourage, encourage, encourage. Remind her of how she made her current crop of friends in her classes and in her residence hall. Second semester freshman year is a great time to get involved in extracurriculars so encourage her involvement and bring some of her current friends along. Encourage the idea that meeting new students and friends is what these four years are all about, not holding on to the first folks you meet in freshman year. Hear your D's worries but meet them with confidence in her abilities and in the process of growing up.</p>
<p>Point out to her that this is simply an opportunity for her to expand her social circle ever farther. The likelihood that she will remain best friends will all 20 students from this semester is low. However, even if she gets 2-5 friends that she keeps in touch with it will still be a good experience. Plus she'll make lots of new friends in her new classes. I stayed friends with a group of about 5-7 girls from the hall of my freshman year dorm all the way through college. We all settled into different groups and different paths, but we all got together at least once a semester for the remainder of school to grab dinner and catch up.</p>