Hey guys,
So this fall I will be attending OU as a freshman, and I leave next week for move-in. I’m pretty excited to live the college life (especially at a school like OU), But I’m also really nervous, as I am basically going their completely on my own, with nobody else I know from high-school attending OU as well. This applies particularly to my “best friends group”, some of the closest guys that I’ve known for six years since middle-school. Although I’ve seen many of my other friendships from things like band and work taper off into nothing with me being absolutely fine, these guys are kind of different. I say this because we really haven’t even had any classes together since middle-school, but have retained our friendships firmly nonetheless. However they are all attending either the local community college, or UTD, and will remain close to each other to do things like hang out and go grab stuff to eat like we always have. But I on the other hand am going to be 3 hours away, and will therefore only be able to hang with them during holidays it seems. I chose OU because my family has all attended there, and I had been there and had liked the school visually. me and my friends have always spent the majority of our time through video-games, playing online and talking while we play. This part of my social life will not change, but I will no longer able to go out and physically hang with them, which kind of disappoints me. I had applied to UTD myself as well, but felt like choosing a school just because of friends was a foolish thing to do. The only problem is that I didn’t really have anything else to base my choice on, and am now feeling like I will miss my friends too much while at OU. I get that I’m going to make new friends, but I find it hard to believe that I will achieve any friendship groups as close-knit as this one, and am already having thoughts about transferring at the end of the semester. Thoughts on my situation? Part of me says it will be ok since I can still play with them online but part of me says that won’t be enough. Sorry for making this so long by the way, just had to speak my mind somewhere.
I am also attending a school far away from my friends/home. I’m attending a school 1,200+ miles away from home and away from my friends. Although I also do have fears about losing touch with my friends I know that we’ll all make the effort to talk and hangout as much as we can. I know friends who have attended the same college but still managed to drift apart, so I don’t think distance is an issue when keeping a friendship, it’s effort. As long and you and your friends both make the effort to keep in touch and not let distance come between you guys, then you’ll be more than fine, and you’ll even appreciate them more when you do get to hang out face to face. I think you made the right decision to attend the college that was best for you and not go somewhere just because your friends are going there!
Try not to spend too much time on social media worried about what you are missing and make your own fun with new friends. Since you are going to such a big football school, the fall will have a lot to do. Do it.
Remember that song people sang in music class or scouts in elementary school? “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other’s gold.” Going to college means you will meet some new wonderful friends, not that you will lose the old ones. In our forties now, between my spouse and me, we have friendships still with people from high school and also from college. The friendships that matter, last. You make sure they do.
Yes, college will be an adjustment, and it may be a little while until you feel as close with friends at college as you do with your high school friends. But you will.
Between vacations and myriad means of communicating with modern technology, you can stay in touch with your high school friends.
Thanks guys, I feel a lot better now after hearing y’all’s advice. I think I can manage to make time to game with my friends while living the college life, one way or another, and do plan on hooking up with them for holidays. Thanks anyways and boomer sooner!