getting to know people

luckystar
Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:04:12 +0000

i was one of the lucky ones who met my best friends within the first two months of college. since then, i have made a few more very close friends, and we all keep in touch during the summer with phone/email/facebook. college friends make most high school “friends” pale in comparison. unlike in high school, you’re not forced to associate with a certain group because of proximity; rather you seek out those who you can feel that connection with.

i didn’t meet my best friends the “traditional” way…as in, they weren’t part of my dorm. except for my roommate, all of my best friends i have met by chance, whether it be in a large lecture class, at the hillel, or just through the friend of a friend.

so it’s hard for me to come up with advice, and the advice i do have is kind of unorthodox: i believe that you know within the first few weeks after meeting someone if that person has the potential to move beyond acquaintance territory to become your close friend. although i do have acquintances, i don’t think i spend as much time with them as others do. it’s not that i feel it’s a waste of time; i’d just rather spend my time with someone who i know i’ll eventually become closer to. i don’t mean for this to sound strategic or cynical, but i believe that a person naturally and perfectly “clicks” with only a few other people, and i spent time in the first few weeks seeking these out rather than trying to ingratiate with people i knew i could never really get completely comfortable with. that decision really paid off.