Facing a problem? Annie has answers. Ask away!

Dear Annie,

All my friends are super ready and excited to graduate. They keep saying they can’t wait to leave. I can’t help but feel that their eagerness to leave means they didn’t have any fun during the years we were friends here. I didn’t hate it here, did they? Did they hate spending time with me? I just feel worried that my friendships were a lie.

If anyone cares,

Not ready to leave

Dear Not ready to leave,

This is my last column, so I understand exactly what you are feeling firsthand. Writing this column has been one of my favorite things about being a GW student. While I scroll through a number of problems submitted by students, which I won’t have the privilege of sharing my two cents on after today, I’m finding it a balm to remember that the best experiences leave us wanting more.

Both college and advice columns are finite for a reason. The novelty wears off once you’ve explored every possible plotline. There’s only so many times you can enter a dorm, or in my case, prescribe students with a case of bad communication, before yearning for something fresh. Wanting something new doesn’t mean you have a disdain for the old. Don’t let your insecurities creep into your friendships during your last month of college.

Your relationships weren’t a lie. Your friends chose to spend a portion of their formative college years here with you when they could have stayed in bed or found someone else, making your time together inherently genuine and meaningful. These people gave your time at GW a special flair, and you gave that to them, too.

Each person who walks through Kogan Plaza or the doors of Phillips Hall as an undergraduate has a distinct, individual story marred by positive and negative interactions while they are a GW student. As buff and blue balloons overtake campus, you should remember the ups and downs of life at GW. GW is a challenging school: The city landscape can make it intimidating to connect with people, it hosts a competitive hustle culture and even securing a seat in your classes is a war. Most likely, when your friends talk about being ready to leave, they’re excited to leave behind aspects like these rather than your relationship.   

To honor these friendships, you need to look forward with them. Consider ways to stay in touch, whether that’s creating a large group chat where you can casually send online videos that remind you of them or formally planning a time to meet up in person. It might take more effort than weekly dinners at Western Market, but it’s worth it to show your friends you care. If you find yourself in the same city — whether that’s the District or beyond — you could find a way to welcome them into the next chapter, like becoming roommates or donning neon VOLO T-shirts together. 

Remember to be excited for friends’ futures. Up until now, most people’s paths have been defined by school, making many of our journeys fairly comparable as we progressed from kindergarten to college. For many of us, this is one of the first times we’ll see variation in our social circles, with some going to grad school, others getting jobs and the remaining few finding a plethora of different paths. Welcome change for yourself and your friends with an open mindset.

Simultaneously, be realistic about who you can stay in touch with. Despite our best efforts, some friendships might remain in the college capsule. If you ever want to revisit the connection, just reach out. No one ever hates hearing from an old friend.

We’re lucky not to feel completely ready to go. Leaving desired courses untaken, restaurants unvisited or words unwritten means we had full, enriching experiences. College allows us to grow and learn. If we stay too long, we’d never have the chance to show off the knowledge we’ve gained and the person we’ve become in the wider world. 

Let’s go, 

Annie