College is the place where we find ourselves and our “people.” And even though we grew up with the people we went to high school with, they don’t come close to the friends we made in college:
1. You’ve actually lived with these people.
You know your college friends’ routines in the morning. That’s probably the most intimate relationship you can have. You know what time they wake up; you know when they need their morning coffee; you know whether or not you’re allowed to speak to them until they’ve had said coffee.
2. You’ve shared your deepest, darkest secrets with them.
They’ve got the ultimate dirt on you. So don’t cross them. Only kidding — sorta. But they know things about you that your S.O. probably wouldn’t. You share an unbreakable bond that no one can penetrate.
3. You’re all trying to find yourselves together.
You’re all trying different things and seeing where your lives are going. And you’re doing it together, so you know you’re not alone. Whether you’re trying out that horrific hairstyle or you’re going through your first real breakup, you’re all able to relate to each other and get each other through the tough times.
4. You’ve seen your friends at their worst…
And they’ve seen you the same. Between the screaming match you and your friend had after you hooked up with her crush and the time you weren’t able to leave the house on Halloween because your friend’s head was in the toilet, you’ve seen it all. But you get through the bad times because your friendship is stronger than any petty ones you had in high school.
5. But you’re always there for each other.
That time your friends brought posters to the musical you were in, where you only played a tree, was one of the most touching moments of your life. Not even your mom would do that, probably, let alone your high school friends.
6. They’ve def seen you naked.
Between the time they walked in on you having sex or when they walked in on you in the shower (you better start locking doors, honey), they’ve literally seen every side of you. It’s something you can’t unsee. But all it’s done is strengthen your friendship and remove some of those pesky “boundaries.”
7. You’re basically part of each other’s families.
You’re so grateful for the multiple times your friends’ families took you in for Thanksgiving break when your family lived across the country. Or when your friends came to visit for July 4 and you all watched the fireworks with your family. Bottom line: You’re all family, and that’s that.
8. You can talk to them about your dating life because they know who everyone is.
Your high school friends haven’t met Johnny or Tyler. They don’t know what they’ve done to you, or they don’t remember how you met them or which one you had a “bonus night” with. It can get quite frustrating reiterating who these people are. But your college friends were there for it, step by step (yes, even during the bonus night; you always forget to lock doors, remember?), and they’re the first ones to slap you before you make that mistake with Johnny.
9. You have people to send random GIFs and Snapchats to.
Drunkenly and sober. If you find something funny on the Internet, you’ll send it to your group Facebook thread immediately. Your high school friends are probably still stuck in high school and haven’t evolved to your sense of humor — which is ironic because your sense of humor involves poop and fart jokes. But still.
10. You can be as weird as you want around them.
Because they’re just as weird as you are. If you wanted to dance around in your underwear to show tunes while drinking a bottle of wine, your friends are willing to join you with open arms. But they’ll be pissed that you started without them.
11. Some of your greatest memories came from college and the times you spent with those fools.
That’s when most of your inside jokes solidified. From that funny-looking head of lettuce in the dining hall to quoting every line from Get Him to the Greek, you’ve never laughed harder than you have with your college friends. They’re the ones you’re gonna grow old with. And you’re thankful for that.
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