Transitioning into college means adjusting to new environments, academic pressures and social circles. Often, these familiar changes are a quieter, yet significant, challenge of leaving behind relationships and routines that once felt instinctive and automatic.
“I’m a person who is very driven by in-person interactions, and I miss people pretty quickly after seeing them last,” said Chris Falk, a sophomore majoring in mathematics. “Right now, all we have is communication over the phone.”
During the chaos of adapting to these new conditions, many students find that their best support system isn’t on campus, but rather miles away. Students with best friends attending distant universities must balance student life with maintaining and developing these connections while apart. These friendships are often the greatest support systems and, ultimately, pieces of home.
Busy schedules and differing time zones are sure to cause strain on any relationship, making finding adequate communication methods crucial in making up for the distance.
“My best friend, Marco, and I use Snapchat as our default way to stay in touch. We also are constantly staying connected by sending each other reels on Instagram,” said Dominic Gatto, a sophomore majoring in graphic design.
Messaging platforms like Snapchat, iMessage and Instagram are popular with students as a way to stay connected with their long-distance pals. Lea Benavidez, a junior majoring in political science, says she stays in contact with her friend over Snapchat, and they send each other “vlogs” to watch in their “own time.”
Distance can both strengthen and strain friendships. For students with long-distance best friends, maintaining these relationships requires both intention and compromise. Falk argues there is “something different” about having conversations over the phone “compared to having the same conversation face-to-face.”
“Being in the same room as someone who means a lot to you is priceless,” Falk said.
Other students have tried to take advantage of this distance as a chance to grow.
“My best friends and I are as close, if not closer, now,” Gatto said. “I feel closer to more friends from home than I did before I left, due to the time off giving me the space for the friendship to breathe and grow. It definitely makes me enjoy the time we have home together more.”
