Maintaining ties after college

This article was in our Royal Purple and I REALLY liked it. Fits so well

One hundred and twenty some credits, eight semesters, four years, and one diploma later, many college students find their tassels tangled in the relationships and memories created here at school.

Isn't it incredible the memories we manage to make despite our hectic schedules, or the relationships that get us through the toughest of times? Relationships established in college can most definitely be everlasting.

I remember going through a similar situation as I graduated from high school. I thought that graduating meant I would never see my friends ever again. We would go on our separate ways, attend different schools, make new friends and before we knew it our friendships would dwindle to nothing.

And we did go our own ways. We moved state lines away from each other, made new friends, and inevitably became consumed with our new ways of life. But just because we evolved as individuals, didn't mean we forgot about one another. Though we may not see each other on a day to day basis anymore, when we do see each other it is as if we never were apart.

You're right. You may not walk to class together anymore. And maybe your thirsty Thursday nights which once were spent painting the town red, will now be spent working late at the office. But as you transition into your new lifestyle as an independent individual in the real world, you'll remember those friends who helped get you where you are.

Our generation is at more of an advantage than any generation in the past. With social-networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and CollegeGraduate, there is little excuse to not keep in touch. And the buck doesn't stop there. Text messaging and instant messaging services make communicating as easy as can be.

Graduation is bitter sweet. It marks a time to celebrate your successes and hard work. But it also marks the end of an era. And with that comes the promise of change.

As you enter this new chapter of the novel called "life," don't think for a moment that the memories you've made thus far will fade. Those unforgettable experiences will forever remain dog-eared, for you to reference back to when times get rough again (and inevitably they will). The friends, who accompanied you through the upward and downward spirals of college, will permanently serve as characters to your book. Though this is the beginning of something new, it doesn't mean that it's the end of something else.

Moral of the story: What's meant to be will be. Friendships that were meant to last forever will do just that.