KAWACHI: Friendship

People always say the best friendships are formed during our college years.  But what they don’t tell you about are the difficulties that arise with them.

Friendships that develop at college seem to deviate from the usual progression of friendships elsewhere – things move quicker. Since everyone is thrown together, knowing next to no one and actively searching for friends, bonds develop faster than normal. This is the only explanation I have when trying to describe my friendships here. Sometimes, I feel as if the friends I’ve only met five months ago I’ve known for five years. But these connections present a problem, a looming uncertainty of the future – what happens when graduation arrives?

One of the main reasons I like Boston University is its diversity. We have such an international school; it enables the opportunity to gain friends from all over the country and the world. The friends that I have made are invaluable to me, and I’m worrying about where our relationships will be once we leave school. In fact, I’m concerned with not seeing them for a mere three months over summer break.

This shouldn’t worry me; I don’t know why it does. Friendships are easily maintained through proper communication. Two summers ago, I attended a program in Oxford, England, and made many friends I haven’t seen again. Yet I still manage to keep up to date with most of their lives – it’s a positive aspect of Facebook, you have to admit.

I don’t intend to trivialize the friendships I have from high school. A handful of those friends are some of the best people I’ve ever met, and they’ve helped me through some of the hardest parts of my life thus far. I feel guilty at times knowing that when I’m home during breaks, I often miss my friends from school, yet when I’m away at school, I miss the friends from home, but not always to the same extent.

What sparked this column was a thought that’s been on my mind a lot this past week. One of my closest friends is leaving BU in a couple of semesters, and to be honest, this thought terrifies me. Since he’s an international student, the likelihood of us seeing each other again is slim. Sure, the wonders of the Internet will keep communication available. Yes, the future is uncertain and full of surprises. However, this thought of him leaving and the harsh reality that friendships aren’t exactly the same once distant remains.

I’ve been lucky to make wonderful friends here in Boston, all in my first year at BU. And most of them – especially him – have changed my life forever.

Krissen Kawachi is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences and a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. She can be reached at k.kawachi@gmail.com