Editor's Column: Fated Friendships

When it comes to friendship, fate plays a huge role. Freshman year, I was randomly assigned to a random roommate, living in a random room, on a random floor, in a random dorm, and the girls I met on that floor are still my roommates and great friends today. Some of my best friends lived in other parts of the building, and if it weren’t for that thing we held in common, calling Duchesne home, we may never have met. I often wonder how differently these college years would play out if I was assigned somewhere else and had been roommates with different people.

For first-year students, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, the same is true every single year. Yes, as the years go by we choose who to live with and block rooms and try everything we can to be near those who we call our friends, but fate still plays a role. It’s kind of crazy to think about how different life could be. Luckily, fate was in my favor and I have some incredible friends, but I still look at every day as a good excuse to make some new friends.

Coming into junior year is really weird. All of a sudden, everyone in your grade knows practically everyone else. Friend groups are pretty much solidified, and it seems no one is looking to make lots of new friends. If you don’t know someone by now, you may never know them, seems to be the prevailing attitude. Maybe it’s the fact that so many juniors have moved off campus. Where your friends live affects the off-campus parties you go to, and there is no more of the random house hopping that categorized freshman year. And though I hardly miss those days of wandering around looking for something to do, meeting and becoming instant best friends with other students you may never have met was kind of exciting.

Is there room for new friends at this point? I feel like I have met thousands of Boston College students, but still feel like there are so many great people I don’t know. I am all about having a small group of great friends, but making fun new acquaintances is exciting too. Almost everyone gives the advice to never stop meeting new people or to become complacent with your social circle, but it seems that already, during this second week of classes, people are settled into a routine.

The same people are going to the same tailgates, parties, classes, and excursions. Things feel so stale already. Everyone is so excited to finally be upperclassmen, which is definitely something to be excited about, but if this is what all year is going to be like, it’s going to get old fast.

The Features section today is full of sage advice from BC students. There is advice geared toward freshmen about how to survive and what to avoid, and there are lists of advice about how to make the most out of Boston this fall, no matter what year you are. If I can add my own two cents, it would be this –don’t ever stop meeting new people, even during your final years at BC. You never know who fate will throw in your path and for what reason. Not only new friends, but also interesting people who may be be good connections in some way. We all have BC as a common denominator, so why not find out what else you have in common with someone? It sounds cheesy, but really, knowing more people never hurt anyone.

Fate is a funny thing, and is definitely something I subscribe to. Everything happens for a reason. We just need to be open to the possibilities. There is no better time to get into this mindset than September. It is a new beginning. Although new beginnings can sometimes be daunting and pressure-filled as we all seek to succeed and make the most out of this year, they are also wonderful. A new year, a fresh slate, a clean start is a great thing. The possibilities are truly endless. Embrace the unknown this semester, revel in new friendships, and don’t settle down too soon, because there is still so much college has to offer us, even if we are upperclassmen. Make a new friend. You never know how they might change your life.