MY FRIENDS FROM ROSEBANK COLLEGE ARE MY FRIENDS FOR LIFE

friends who never shy to be friends
photographer: Themba Nkabinde

By: Themba Nkabinde

When I was in high school, this was me. While my friends were talking about applying to universities across the country, I just wanted to go to braamfontien. Somewhere that wasn’t too big, somewhere that didn’t have endless streets of high rises, somewhere I could start my future. However, it seemed like I was the only one – none of my friends wanted to go to Braam, which I thought was strange, considering they were all from Auckland Park. This meant that once high school finished, I was off to Braam and to a college where I knew no one and didn’t really know how I was going to cope without my school friends by my side.

Fortunately, in my first day I met someone in the library who was also studying at the same college as me, Itumeleng Lesejane, and he introduced me to three other boys he was with. It turns out that this boy went to school with my cousin and my new friendship began to form.

Forming friendship group’s on-college can be difficult if you class yourself as an introvert. At the start of my college life I certainly was (not that anyone would believe that now), but forming new friendships on-college was one of the most important things I ever did. Now I have so many more friends from different colleges, degrees and of all different ages.

So why are the friends you make on college friends for life? When you live on-college, you go to breakfast with your friends, have lunch with your friends, play sport with your friends, study with your friends, go to social events, such as formals, and have fun with your friends, and you live with them 24/7, much like your family. And much like your siblings, parents and loved ones, college friends get to see you at your best, happiest, lowest, most stressed and well, worst moments. They’re there when you snap over your assessment deadline, yell at your computer, are annoyed with work, frustrated with friends and are plain angry with the world. This variety of emotional moments experienced when living with people creates strong relationships, and develops a depth of intimacy that maybe only your family have ever felt. Few people get to see the good and bad sides of you, but when living in such close proximity, your college friends will get to know all of you and this is why college friends are friends for life.

I don’t know what I would do without the friends I met on-college. They have helped me through some of the toughest times and also helped me create memories I will never forget. The friends I have made while living on-college have supported and guided me to my final year of study and have always encouraged me to never give up and always go one better at everything. If I have a bad day, I just can just send them a simple ‘I need a group hug’ and they are there for me. They are just around the corner when I need them, and I do the same for them!

Moving away from college at the end of my diploma, will be ten times as hard than moving on from my high school. Not being able to see my uni friends every day for lunch or get that high five when I need it most, will be so difficult. But I know we will remain friends for life, just like my mom told me when I started at Rosebank College, and we will always be there for each other!

I would encourage you to make the most of your on-college experience and cherish the friendships you develop, because the friends you make at university and on-college can be friends for life