5 Ways to Stay Close with Your Long-Distance Friends
By Margaux Doran
Most people say one of the best parts of college is meeting new people. While this is such an important and amazing part of the college experience, it is easy to get homesick, and miss your besties at different schools. Here are 5 ways to stay connected with them!
Schedule FaceTime calls
Everyone has busy schedules. It is hard to pick up everytime a friend calls you, and expect them to answer every one of your calls. If you have a big friend group from home, it is especially hard to stay up to date with all of them. A good way to keep in touch with everyone is to schedule individual or group FaceTime calls. Think of some of the most important things that have happened in your life since the last time you talked, and fill them in!
Make a group private story
Snapchat group stories are a good way to stay connected with your friends from home. People are on snapchat all the time. Group stories make it easy to post something that just happened and interact with your friends through “swiping up” on posts. If you are having a busy day, using group stories allows you to stay up to date with your friends without having a full conversation.
Send them memories
A fun way to strike up a conversation in group chats is by sending memories. Everyone misses each other, and sending memories makes the group feel a little nostalgic, and can also get out a good laugh. I always send my “One Year Ago, Today” memory on Snapchat as well as my camera roll flashbacks to my friends and family to start a little conversation.
Make fun plans for your next hang out
Making plans for the next time your friends see each other gets everyone excited, and secures set plans for when you are together. Plan a couple fun get-togethers- like going out to dinner, going into the city, or hosting a themed party. This will give everyone something to look forward to when you reunite over holiday breaks.
Send them things that make you think of them
Everyday, I run into little things that make me think of my home friends. Whether it’s seeing someone wearing their favorite top or being reminded of a funny story, I always send that friend a text. This lets them know I am thinking about them, and leads to a little conversation so we can stay in touch.