Once finals ended, the reality of graduation truly hit me. For the past month, I was filled with excitement and anxiety about starting a new chapter of my life and finally beginning my career.
But until now, I had never had the time to reflect on what I would leave behind.
So today, as you walk down the aisle and receive your diploma, remember the friends you have made along the way. Cherish those memories and as you carve your future; never let them go.
It's hard to maintain long-distance relationships - though, considering you've made it through Tufts you should be able to keep your friendships alive. But if you need a little help, read on.
Call on me
It may sound corny, but your friends really are only a phone call away. How hard is it to pick up the phone and say hello?
The biggest mistake that people make is they believe that every time they call a friend that it has to be an hour-long conversation. If you wait to call a friend until you have an hour to spare, it's probable that you'll never put aside the time for a phone call.
There's no shame in picking up the phone just to say a quick hello. Wouldn't you rather have a friend call for five minutes on their way to work every other week rather than speak to him or her every six months?
Sometimes a brief phone call is heartwarming. It says: I'm really busy right now but I just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking about you.
You can also say it with a text, an even less time-consuming method of staying in touch. And with text messages generally costing less than 10 cents each these days, a quick, "Hello!" is well-within your budget.
Living in a technology world
Unlike our parents, we have the advantages of technology to help our friendships thrive. E-mails are a great way to update an old roommate on your current status or see if your friend from Art History wants to meet for lunch.
The only suggestion I have for e-mail is to write each person separately. I have received many group emails, especially when I studied abroad, and I usually skimmed through them since I knew there was nothing in there directed towards me. Even though it takes more time to personalize your emails, your friend will appreciate the gesture, making them more likely to respond.
Aside from e-mails, there are myriad Web sites solely dedicated to staying in touch. Sophomore year we saw the debut of Facebook, which has now increased in popularity to an extent that there are even t-shirts saying "Facebook Me!"
As much as we poke fun at Facebook and its ability to help us procrastinate for hours, the site is great for staying in touch. I was shocked when I had a pending friend request from a girl who I had not seen since middle school. Now she writes on my wall for my birthday, and I even talked to her when I visited my hometown of Miami last summer.
So continue poking, because as immature as it may seem, it helps keep friendships alive.
In addition to Facebook, there's the ever-popular MySpace. Much to my friend's, as well as my own, dismay, I finally caved in and recently joined the social networking site. If you are not yet a member, be forewarned: MySpace is an ever bigger form of procrastination than Facebook. Not only can you view other people's pictures, but with a general knowledge of HTML, you can bedazzle your own profile into a site that would make your CompSci professor proud.
If you are a member of these sites, however, realize that by placing information on the Internet, you are making it easily accessible. Now that you have graduated and need to be a responsible young adult, you do not want a potential employer to see you doing a keg-stand at 123. So make sure that you are careful of pictures and words you post on your profile.
For a completely safe version, you can register for the Tufts Alumni Online Community. Through the site, you can look up old friends to discover where they live, who they married and what they finally decided to do for a career.
You can also retrieve their latest e-mail address to stay in touch and even see a picture of them with their new haircut in their profile.
Old-fashioned tricks
To show somebody that you really care, you can write a letter. Yes, that means picking up a pen, addressing an envelope and licking a stamp. It may seem unnecessary (didn't you just read that friends are only a phone call away?) but receiving a letter is a special treat.
Remember how thrilled you were freshman year when you opened your mailbox and saw a postcard from your high school buddy? That excitement doesn't fade upon graduation.
So make it a tradition to send a postcard to all your college friends any time you go on vacation. Or, go out and buy some really pretty stationary and leave it on your desk next to your computer. When your eyes are strained from reading e-mails, take a break and write a letter.
Another way to keep in touch via snail mail is to send your friend a gift such as a magazine subscription or fruit-of-the-month club for his or her birthday.
This way, over the following year, the monthly arrival will make your friend think of you, increasing the probability of a phone call.
Whatever you decide to do, good luck to the Class of 2006, and keep in touch!
