There are plenty of ways to stay in contact with the friends you’ve made in college, especially when going separate ways for the summer. It doesn’t have to be as complicated as waiting to see each other until the fall.

“Keeping in touch with college friends is important because you might need their help in the future with getting a job, accommodation when stranded or in borrowing money,” said senior civil engineering major Ebuka Ozueigbo. “With that trust already built up, it makes it easier to ask for help if you need it.”

By maintaining college friendships, a sense of comfort and familiarity provides a foundation that can be easily accessed if a favor ever needs to be asked. 

There can be many different ways to stay in touch so friends don’t feel like they’re miles apart.

“Honestly, my friends and I just send memes to each other. Like every day,” Ozueigbo said.

Sharing something as simple as a laugh over a text message can be another way to feel connected to college friends. Humor has the ability to keep relationships real as well as strengthen the connection of friendship. For example, the mutual agreement that a meme sent in a group chat was amusing and maybe even relatable to everyone in the chat, fosters a sense of connection, even if the meme was only shared through a screen.

For the more sentimental individuals, a meme isn’t the only way of keeping a connection alive with college friends.

Writing letters is another way to keep friendships personal and fun. For some, getting mail from a friend can brighten up their day.

Of course, reading what a friend has to say isn’t the same as actually hearing their voice and seeing their face. In that case, using a smartphone is the way to go.

“During the summer when my friends here go home, I Snapchat, Facetime and call them to keep in touch,” said freshman exercise science major Lexie Dulas.

Other than hearing a voice or seeing a friendly face comprised of pixels, it may be appealing to others to meet with friends in person.

“Going out gives me a break from working during the summer and allows a small trip outside of my hometown if I ever want to meet up with friends from college,”  said Jack Carroll, a sophomore economics major.

So, don’t be afraid to pick up a pen, type up a text message or send a funny meme. It’s worth it to keep in touch with someone who was a big part of your life during your time here at South Dakota State.