1. That Really Awesome Faculty Member
Now, this person may not be a professor. Maybe he/she is a TA, or works in the women’s center or the admissions office. Regardless, this person just rocks. They probably have this great sense of humor and this outlook that always makes you feel better. Maybe they miraculously made physics make sense to you… or maybe they gave you some candy and a pep talk to help you feel better when nobody could make physics miraculously make sense to you. This person was an influential part of your freshman year and probably someone you’ll keep in touch with through your four years.
2.That friend you only talk to about class or school work
Okay so maybe this person isn’t exactly your friend. You may have just accidentally sat next to each other on the first day and had to consult with each other regularly throughout lecture when the professor said “now turn to the person next to you and discuss”. You probably texted a few times outside of class but chances are it was for homework help or questions about due dates. Sure you probably talked about life outside of class, but that was probably the 5 minutes before or after class or maybe even a few minutes during. Regardless, they were a pretty good resource and it was always fun to randomly see them at a party give them an “OH MY GOD HI!!!!!” hold hands for a second and then not talk to them for the rest of the night.
3. That kid who is literally never sober
4:00 BBQ? drunk before you even got your first drink. 9:30 pregames? oh he’s hammered. 10:30 party? so far gone you can’t imagine. he probably speaks in bro and may/may not have a full conversation with you and forget 5 seconds later. 8 am class? yeah he’s not there 10 am class? If he is there he’s still drunk from last night. Afternoon class? he’s probably pregaming the pregame’s pregame. Go ahead, laugh at the last picture you took of him blacked out on someones lawn at 5 pm.
4. The Upperclassman who saved your life
This person was definitely instrumental to surviving your first and second college semesters. Maybe they were an RA (at Lehigh a Gryphon), a TA, someone you met through sports, a leader in a club you got involved in, just someone older in an elective who really helped you out. No matter how you met this person, they were the one you could go to when you needed honest advice. How do I dress for this theme party? Do I take rocks for jocks to fulfill my natural science elective or Astronomy? Which professors are total dicks and which give the most extra credit? This person had your back and gave you the low-down on how to best survive college living. They taught you about their mistakes so that you could avoid them, and when it was already too late and you had made those mistakes anyway they shared their stories which were twice as bad and made you feel better. They were helpful and comforting and always a friendly face to turn to when you needed someone with credibility (who had already survived your situation) to have your back.
5. That friend who is just a little off but you love them anyway
Maybe he/she isn’t the brightest bulb on the tree or maybe you come from really different places and don’t have much in common. Maybe you have personalities that clash and bicker almost constantly. OR maybe he/she just really doesn’t understand that that graphic tee they wear every Friday night… just isn’t cool and nobody else quite gets the joke. BUT the best thing about this friend is that you love them despite their oddities. Coming to college is all about experiencing new things and getting to know people different from those you knew at home. This friend was always different and you probably wouldn’t have been friends with them if they didn’t live on your hall, or better yet, weren’t your roommate. But this person always gave you an interesting story to tell and way probably always there for you in the ways a true friend would be. As weird as your experiences may have been with this person, you’ll be glad you met them.
