By Liv Dunleavy Editorial Staff As this semester brings me one step closer to graduation, I prepare for my life outside of a school setting and find myself mulling over choices I’ve made in my five years of being in college that have made life significantly easier. I like to think I make friends easily and I can connect with someone on a deeper level. I am able to sympathize with others in a way that allows me to have large groups of diverse friendships. Although, making and maintaining friendships can be especially hard when going to college. Being a freshman, a transfer student, or even just progressing in your degree can make sustaining a friendship difficult. Losing friends who graduate, move to schools far away or out of state after high school, or transfer away to another school mid semester - all of these come with pain and the uncertainty of if the friendship will last. A lot of freshmen may struggle to keep in touch with their hometown friends, especially those who live on campus, who had to leave their life behind in search of a new start here at FSU. Transfer students may join a new school with the fear of being an outcast, an outsider to the community, someone who joined a party too late. Here’s what I think about friendships in college. Having someone who supports you - someone who will lift you up when you have the roughest week - is what makes college and life worth it. Whether that is your parent, your pet, your partner, or your best friend - it is important to surround yourself with people who lift you up. Having a support system, people you can rely on through thick and thin, will make your college experience and life in general so much smoother. You will want to keep these strong bonds forever - isn’t that the goal? But there are lines that have to be drawn, especially when it comes to your mental health. It can sometimes be hard to decipher when someone is supporting you versus when someone is draining you. I’ve been through a lot of toxic friendships, and it took a long time to realize what I needed to do to support myself when it came to making decisions on who to keep in my life and who to let go. After high school, with all the drama and back and forths, I realized that what matters most when it comes to friendships is how I treat myself and who I surround myself with. When I make friends now, I make sure the people I hang out with are people who I feel recharged with. People who don’t make me feel tired after spending the day with them. People I can rely on. As for the people I was hanging out with in the past who made me feel like I was putting so much into the friendship, giving my all to them with no love back, I just don’t give them the time of day anymore. It’s hard to know people's true intentions. When I realize I am not being supported by people in my life, I let them go. And when I know I want these people in my life, I work hard to mend those friendships. I feel recently a lot of people have been struck with uncertainty in their relationships, whether it be familial, friendly, or romantic. And right now, more than ever, we need support. Reach out to those people who you want to keep in your life. And don’t keep stressing over those people that make each day harder for yourself. Communication is so important. It’s beaten to death by counselors and everyone always says talking it out will fix everything. It seems so over exaggerated, but the way you communicate is what makes the difference. If you are looking for a sign to cut out someone toxic in your life, this is your sign! Don’t let that weight drag you down. You can find someone who will lift you up instead. If you are looking to make friends on campus, there are people for you. There are so many lovely folks with so many unique and similar interests. You will find someone who will connect with you.