How does one let go of the friends at home and accept their new friends without "losing" or forgetting thier old friends. Everyone faces this problem. When I went to USAFA, I made it a documented goal to maintain contact with my friends back home. Unfortunately, with a few exceptions, I wasn't entirely successful. It was hard to know that those people with whom I had spent so much of myself would not be there much longer.
So what does a guy/girl do? I think the answer lies in the little things. You won't be able to go out to the corner ice cream store anymore, but you can definitely pick up the phone. Students won't be able to expain everything that goes on in a day but they can easily send a facebook message or email to let someone know that they're thinking of their friends.
It's important that new students be able to accept their new friends and truly embrace their new environment or else they'll always be wishing they were somewhere else and ultimately end up unhappy at their current institution. Our friends will be there when we come home, they aren't forgetting us. We're all experiencing a new situation that will take some time to figure out. My friends have scattered all over the country, but some friends from home have made it to the local area.
At times it might be hard not to hold on to these people as a piece of home without forgeting all of the new people that they are meeting. Talking every day isn't what's needed, nor are endless messages. But eventually it would be good to give into those urges to reach out to your friend and do something together. SO many people can't seem to get along when there isn't any interaction, but once you put them together, you'd never see better friends.
Just some thoughts from things that were on my mind after the first full day on-campus. To any friends or family that might be reading, don't forget me because I'm definitely not forgetting you.
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