Some of the first impressions I made on my closest friends at university involved a pearl-clutching rendition of how I almost ripped my own nipple off taking off a sticky bra. Clearly this nail-biter of a tale along with the quote: “I’m going to dropkick you” cultivated the groundwork for a strong and meaningful friendship.
Safe to say first impressions don’t always go exactly as planned, alongside the fact that I think one of the boys present during this story still can’t look at me the same. But even so these playful moments seem out of reach with the influx of lectures, tutorials, and endless readings. It has been the sacrifice of many late nights with walks back to my accommodation to maintain these connections, but it is oftentimes the small price to pay in order to do so.
When your schedule consists of a plentiful heap of going out, beer fear, and endless welcome week activities, some of the people you meet can often trickle into the filter of people who occasionally like your Instagram posts. It can be hard to decipher where exactly you want to invest into your friendship portfolio. Although, those you do choose to put the extra effort in with can end up becoming some of the most important people in your life.
The period immediately after welcome week, especially as a first year, can come as quite the shock, with an instantly full schedule and a lack of downtime to spend with the masses of characters you previously met. More specifically, as someone who has been lucky enough to bring close friendships away to university, branching out and creating new connections has an additional intimidation. Spreading yourself thin with commitments to friendships from back home and at university in tandem with the bottomless pit of essential, further, and recommended reading has come with some challenges. This is why the time you choose to spend with those around you is extremely special and should be cherished.
There is no simple solution to the problem of fleeting friendship due to the fact that the natural life cycle of connection does often result in death, at times prematurely, of these relationships. This can oftentimes happen due to negligence, which we have all been victim to at one point or another, particularly when it appears one sided with the other party clinging onto a dying friendship with unwavering persistence.
Some friendships you make have the potential to last a lifetime, others you wave to each other occasionally. The acceptance of this fact can lead to a fulfilling inner and outer circle whilst balancing the many commitments that come with university life.
Image by Isabel Beiboer for The Student
