You could be sitting alone in the corner of French class or narrowly stepping around a sleeping body and still do it right. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, it can always be right around the corner.
“It” is one of the most talked about college activities: finding friends.
College is a time to explore and embrace academic, athletic and artistic passions, but it’s also a time to socialize. Students have found new friendships to be one of – if not the – most valuable additions to their undergraduate experiences.
Incoming freshmen may wonder how these future relationships form – in what settings and under what circumstances. With over 25,000 students, 164 clubs, 13 dorm buildings and a maximum of 29 class hours offered a semester, UB students have plenty of opportunities to meet new people.
Elizabeth Chestnut, a senior French and Spanish major, met Stephen Wah, a recently graduated interdisciplinary degree program social sciences major, in French class at the beginning of her junior year. After one week, they became friends and established themselves as the class troublemakers.
“[Wah] is one of my best friends,” Chestnut said. “We also have this strange agreement that if we aren’t married by the time we’re both 28 or 29, we will have children together … I just love us.”
When day began, they were just two seemingly random students sitting in the same corner of class. The two had no idea how good of friends they’d soon become.
But they appreciated each other immediately. Chestnut admired Wah’s neat handwriting. Wah loved how bold and outspoken Chestnut was in class. To this day, he thinks it’s one of her best qualities.
“[She] is a little queen,” Wah said. “She’s classy, and a little high maintenance, in the best way possible.”
The two bonded over their love-hate relationship with the French language. Despite not always enjoying French class, they hope to one day buy the Palace of Versailles from France and make it their summer home.
In the meantime, they enjoy indulging in croissants, Gossip Girl and wine.
Aaron Wray, a junior biology major, met one of his best friends after almost trampling over him one night in the Richmond dorm hallway during freshman year. After re-meeting him when they were both conscious in the daylight, the two became quite close. Wray believes that although the friendship stemmed from an odd circumstance, it’s important to stay open minded.
“Don’t judge anyone,” Wray said. “Look for interesting people, no matter the social circles you might have to cross.”
Wray believes new freshmen should not be afraid to make something fun out of a weird situation. Wah agrees and believes that true friendships can come from anyplace at any time.
“It’s terribly corny, but there is someone for everyone here at UB,” Wah said. “Regardless of your interests, sense of style or humor, you will meet people who will appreciate you for exactly who you are.”
A study by the Hallmark Research Institute shows that lifelong friendships are most likely to be established between the ages of 15 and 25. Chestnut is confident that she and Wah will be friends no matter what – and with a statistic like this in mind, her confidence does not seem unfounded.
“Even as we grow older and grow apart, I know we will still be great friends,” Chestnut said. “We don’t have to see each other or speak to each other every day to feel like we’re still important to each other.”
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