Hey Guys!
So I realize it's been so long since I've last updated my blog. ADMITTEDLY, college has been kicking my butt for the past few months, but that's all over now (at least for the time being). I am officially done with Spring 2017 classes, and I have a little more time on my hands to get things written.
Speaking of summer break, a lot of you will be heading out of your schools for the summer. That means a little over two months of free time. At a distance, this can seem excited and like you've entered paradise, but once you discover that those months are ones of emptiness and boredom, the stress can get to you. There are several tips and tricks for staving off boredom, but this post is going to focus on one: building connections.
Transitioning from an environment where your friends lived down the hall to one where you have old friends who you haven't seen in a while can be difficult. Your old friendships can easily be complicated by the time you've spent apart and the transformative nature of college life. It's easy to feel isolated because of this. That is why building connections are super useful. There are several different ways you can build connections with the people outside of your college gang. You can reconnect with old friends, meet new people in your hometown, or take the long months to focus on virtual relationships.
Reconnecting with old friends can be a daunting task, but it can be done. You'll first need to get reacquainted with them. All of you have changed, and therefore, won't think or act the same way as you did before college. Getting a firm footing and assessing whether your new personalities are compatible enough for a friendship is the first step.
Next, you need to start hanging out as often as you can. Do things that you do with your college friends, and let your old friends do the same. Do some of your old favorites as well because that will help bring back that connection.
If rekindling old friendships isn't working for you or you want to have more friends, then meeting new people in your hometown is a great way to connect. If you have a job or volunteer opportunity, network with your coworkers. Find out what they do with their free time and ask if you could tag along sometime. If you don't have a job, put yourself out there. Go to places in town where you are more likely to meet people. Strike up conversations with people on buses, trains, or in coffee stops. Rediscover your town and the people in it.
If either of these options don't cut it for you, you can have a virtual connection with someone online. This doesn't imply that you have to online date (though you certainly could if you wanted to). Plenty of people make new friends on the internet. This works best if you want to connect with someone in a different area of the country or world. First, you want to find a legitimate web site that facilitates safe online interactions. Sites and apps like Facebook and Whatsapp are good examples. Next, you want to find someone with a few things in common with you. Start out with messaging each other with photos at intermittent points throughout this interaction. Don't send them any compromising photos, also don't photoshop yourself. Just give the other person a clear picture of who you are. Once you become comfortable you can use audio or video chatting services to communicate. This friendship may or may not lead to an in-person meeting, but that doesn't devalue the human connection you have made.
So instead of flopping on the couch and groaning about how you have nothing to do and no one to do it with, work hard to connect with people. Making new friends is something that can make those long summer months speed past in a blur of fun. However, the effects are much more long-lasting. Not only is human interaction good for your personal life and mental health, but it can lead to the development of useful professional skills and even employment opportunities to better yourself in regards to your career.
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