Spring Break
Hold tight to your college friendships
Megan Lynch
Issue date: 5/10/09 Section: Commentary
It's graduation time and there must be millions of cliche phrases running through your head - "time for the next step in life," "the beginning of a new chapter," "another page is turning."
However, I prefer to stick to Dr. Seuss, who put it the best: "Oh, the places you'll go." And it's true; it's time to go places. Time to move on with "grown- up jobs" and "big kid houses," and from Carriage House to office get-togethers.
With all this moving, it is important not to forget anything important, like your friends.
When you think back on your past at UConn, do you remember that awful general education class that you had to take, or your friend that you met while complaining about it? Do you remember how much your roommate got on your nerves, or all the times that you two stayed up talking for no reason? While you might never have to take another exam, you will want your friends around to distract you anyway. The most important things to take away from UConn are the people that you've met and the relationships that you've formed.
These are the friends that you will keep forever. As many of us know, high school friends have faded into the past. It is important not to let the same happen to your fellow Huskies. No one else will remember those crazy weekends and no one else can sympathize with you about that year you got stuck in West. If you really think about it, where else will you have such an opportunity to make as many friends as you did in college? There will be fake office friendships and fellow boring graduate teaching assistants, but have any of them experienced a Spring Weekend with you? I didn't think so.
If you're moving on to a full-time job far away, it is still possible to keep in touch. People on Facebook just keep getting older and older - once our parents got a page, there was no turning back. You will no longer look like a creeper who can't let go of their college Facebook. It is fundamentally an effective networking resource that you can use it to keep up with friends, even from a distance. And besides, you know that you will log in from work at least four times a day.
However, I prefer to stick to Dr. Seuss, who put it the best: "Oh, the places you'll go." And it's true; it's time to go places. Time to move on with "grown- up jobs" and "big kid houses," and from Carriage House to office get-togethers.
With all this moving, it is important not to forget anything important, like your friends.
When you think back on your past at UConn, do you remember that awful general education class that you had to take, or your friend that you met while complaining about it? Do you remember how much your roommate got on your nerves, or all the times that you two stayed up talking for no reason? While you might never have to take another exam, you will want your friends around to distract you anyway. The most important things to take away from UConn are the people that you've met and the relationships that you've formed.
These are the friends that you will keep forever. As many of us know, high school friends have faded into the past. It is important not to let the same happen to your fellow Huskies. No one else will remember those crazy weekends and no one else can sympathize with you about that year you got stuck in West. If you really think about it, where else will you have such an opportunity to make as many friends as you did in college? There will be fake office friendships and fellow boring graduate teaching assistants, but have any of them experienced a Spring Weekend with you? I didn't think so.
If you're moving on to a full-time job far away, it is still possible to keep in touch. People on Facebook just keep getting older and older - once our parents got a page, there was no turning back. You will no longer look like a creeper who can't let go of their college Facebook. It is fundamentally an effective networking resource that you can use it to keep up with friends, even from a distance. And besides, you know that you will log in from work at least four times a day.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Reginald ValJohnson
posted 5/11/09 @ 9:15 AM EST
The main reason "friends" dont stay in touch is because they lack anything in common...and there is nothing wrong with that.
In high school, the reason you are friends with most people is that you are about the same age, live in the same area, basically do the same things, live somewhat the same lives. (Continued…)
1986 alum
posted 5/12/09 @ 8:54 PM EST
I graduated from UCONN over 20 years ago (yikes!) & I just received an invitation to a fellow UCONN alums son's graduation party - he will be attending UCONN in the fall! I have kept in touch with many alums that I knew through my sorority & SUBOG. (Continued…)
College Forum
posted 8/24/09 @ 9:47 AM EST
Seems like the title should be more like "Hold tight to your college friendships... if they remain reliable and generous friends"!!
daveshep
David Shepherd
posted 9/09/09 @ 4:02 PM EST
The Northwest Quad has a dorm named Rogers Hall. From 1974 through 1983 this Dorm was the Intentional Democratic Community, founded by UConn Professor Burns B. (Continued…)
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