Neoralisa Medrano, Sneha Pandey, Firqrien Yudhistir, and Ipek Cinci, laugh at a funny picture. They have become very close since moving here for college. Photo by Manuel Buitrago.
Moving away from home to attend college can be a critical milestone in a student’s life. Some find it to be easy while others have a difficult time.
In college there is the opportunity to connect with a variety of different people. The memories made with these friends are the ones that make the college experience unforgettable.
The people that we draw close to during the long days of school and the short weekends seem to become like family. One explanation for this is the “Out of sight out of mind” concept. Snow College psychology professor Marsing said, “The reason family becomes less prominent is because they are out of sight or inaccessible and because you have the natural desire to form close associations it will do so with those that are more accessible or in sight.”
This concept explains that with your family out of sight, there is a void where they usually would be. As Professor Marsing said, we then have our friends fill the gap which leads to them feeling like family. It is important to learn how to live without your parents and be independent but it is equally as important to nurture healthy relationships while in college.
With the semester coming to an end, the feeling is bittersweet because we are done with school but may leave behind some friendships we made.