Four years of college goes by so much faster than four years of high school. Luckily, you probably didn’t grow up around this set of people, which either made it harder or easier to make friends at first.
Some people will stick around, but it may not be who you expect. Life surprises everyone. There are people you will never see again after college, unless the fates want to mess with your head:
1. Your Evil Roommate
You know the one that you finally got to exchange for someone who didn’t snore and freak out at everything. This person spoke vengeance as a fluent second language. Your evil roommate did have a perfect nefarious squinty-eyes-of-doom stare.
Whether you lived on or off campus, everyone has had to deal with this necessary evil. On campus, you have to live with someone because of rules, and off campus you have to live with someone (anyone) who will help pay the bills, unless they’re the kind that spends the rent money on beer.
2. Your Resident Advisor (RA)
Your RA was pretty cool but still kept the hall craziness in check. You may have initially laughed at the fact that someone just two years older than you would take care of you, but their training came in handy. There’s still no need to bring up that time you may or may not had had alcohol poisoning and your RA kind of saved your life.
3. The Friend Who Has EVERY Class With You But You Secretly Can’t Stand
You grudgingly let them sit beside you in the second class you have together, and suddenly you’re study buddies and friends. You secretly hate them, the way they laugh obnoxiously at the professor’s jokes and never take notes because “you take the best notes.” This friend wormed their way into your classes, into your circle and into your major. Graduation brings sweet, sweet freedom.
4. The Friend Who Skateboards to Everything
You hear the CLACK-CLACK of the skateboard, and it can’t be anyone else. The friend who rolled into class with breakfast in hand will go on to have a family and their kids will probably skateboard, too. You won’t see this friend again, but anytime you hear that CLACK-CLACK you’ll catch yourself turning around to say hello.
5. The Friend You Had That Semi-Drunk Hookup With
…and things were never the same afterward. Whether it was sloppy or super, the ship has sailed on how you once thought of each other. Maybe it’ll make for a good awkward hookup story?
6. Your Bar-Hopping Friends
Sure, these were more superficial friends, but there’s something shared and unspoken when your friend gets up on stage with you to sing karaoke together, because “I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my…” You didn’t have to worry about too much drama, and they were always up for an adventure, especially if there was booze.
If you stick around the area after graduating, the odd hard day at work or somebody’s getting married call might lure you out reunite in force. Chances are, though, you won’t see these folks again.
7. The Campus Police
Also known as the man/woman with the keys. It was always the same one, too, giving you that “this again” look. There’s no need to talk about being locked out of your room with only a towel and your shower caddy, the number of times you’ve lost count of, but they were there to let you in for a fee. Eventually, you will also pay off your campus parking tickets.
And for goodness sake, make a spare set of keys. The locksmith is so much more expensive than the campus lockout fees.
8. The Professor Who Hangs Out in the Student Center
There’s always the one professor who regularly offers a campus coffee meet or is just always there in the student center grading papers. This professor stuck out like a sore thumb, with a laugh that echoed throughout the building. Their location is set. Yours is changing.
9. Your Fellow [Insert Campus Club Here] Members
Whether it was Spanish, art or hiking, you shared a passion for a subject, raising money for causes and events and making friends who were committed just as much as you were. These people helped you build certain skills, but this same crew of people can’t be constructed again.
This doesn’t mean you have to give up on your passion. There are more faces to paint, and more butts to accidently stare at as you climb to new horizons.
10. The Random Dude/Chick That You Always Made Eye Contact With
It’s not that this person was always dressed like Mary Poppins riding a bicycle to and from class. It’s not that this person had a multicolored, polka dot mohawk. Those people sound pretty cool, though, and are sure to catch people’s attention.
This person was completely average but like a secret agent that shows up randomly, where you are at the weirdest of times. This person was not a stalker, because you were paranoid and checked. Your eyes made contact by some magnetic, unexplained force (Aliens?). Yes, the answer is aliens.
Don’t worry: You won’t see this person again after college. Hopefully.
Many friendships are short-lived and do fall away after graduation. It doesn’t mean that those people or relationships didn’t have a place, even if those were annoying (stupid evil roommate).
Other friendships will stay and become even stronger, as you come back for college reunions, go out for the odd drink to catch up, or attend a wedding. There will be so many weddings. As life moves forward, though, you’ll find friends that are less quantity and more quality. So, don’t give yourself grief for losing connections after college.
