The Importance of Forming New Friendships

Once a star female high school wrestler has received her scholarship offer and signed her letter of intent, she can find comfort in the fact that the university or college she will be attending will take care of many details that will make her transition smooth.

If she is moving far away from home, there is someone else as important; most likely not on the university staff that she will need to meet as well that will greatly enhance her early college experience.

A good friend.

When developed properly a relationship between friends can be more valuable in the present than some of the family ties that were so important in the past.

Once introduced, what can help a casual friendship evolve into one far more satisfying and meaningful? To get us started, let’s see what an expert on teenage life has to say at the site teenshealth.org.

“Big or small, its actions that seems to count the most in friendship. In a time when we can chat effortlessly by text and IM, talk is getting cheaper. Many of you believe that the evidence of true friends is what they do to show their loyalty, honesty, trustworthiness, or willingness to make a sacrifice when you need help.

It works both ways: Nearly three quarters of the people who wrote to us said they do as much for their friends as their friends do for them. Sometimes the most treasured acts of friendship are those for which you expect to get nothing in return, not even credit for a good deed.”

A good friendship is priceless the world over so let’s travel to Australia to further our efforts to define what builds a great friendship. At the interesting site au.reachout.com they state, “A lot of research has been done looking into the benefits of friendship, and the research has found exactly what you might expect. It turns out that the better quality relationships you have; the more likely you are to be happy. Therefore it’s good for your happiness to be a great friend to someone and to have a group of good friends supporting you. But it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what makes a good friend.”

They continue with a great friendship checklist.

Some common signs of a good friend include

• someone who will support you no matter what
• someone you can trust and who won’t judge you
• someone who won’t put you down or deliberately hurt your feelings
• someone who is kind and has respect for you
• someone who will love you because they choose to, not because they feel like they should
• someone whose company you enjoy
• showing loyalty
• being trustworthy and willing to tell you the truth, even when it’s hard
• someone who can laugh when you do
• someone who is willing to stick around when things get tough
• someone who makes you smile
• someone who is there to listen
• someone who will cry when you cry.

The varied information site helpguide.org educates us on some of the benefits that can result if the above steps are successfully applied.[adToAppearHere]

“Good friendships improve all aspects of your life, providing comfort and joy, strengthening your health, providing companionship, and preventing loneliness and isolation. As we age, many of us struggle to make new friends or maintain old friendships. Work, family, and other commitments can all get in the way. While making and keeping friends requires effort, it’s an investment that will make your life richer and more pleasurable. Whatever your age or circumstances, it’s never too late to make new friends or reconnect with old ones.

Simply, a friend is someone you care about who also cares about you. Technology may have shifted the definition of friend in recent years, but having hundreds of online friends is not the same as having a friend you can connect and be with in person. Technology can facilitate social opportunities by helping you reconnect with old friends, start new relationships with people around the world who share similar interests, and maintain relationships with friends who don’t live nearby. However, online friends can’t hug you when a crisis hits, visit you when you’re sick, or celebrate a happy occasion with you after work.”

No doubt given your success as a high school wrestler you developed warm friendships with your former teammates and others in your community. Of those friendships that worked well, try and remember what you did to make it work and then begin to formulate a plan to repeat that in college.[adToAppearHere]

It is an important goal.

Our educator helpguide.org supplies a great conclusion.

“Close relationships don’t happen overnight, but there are steps you can take to help you connect with others and make friends. When looking for places to meet new people, try to be open to new ideas and cultivate an interest in other people, their lives, and their stories. Not everything you try will be successful but you will often have fun and learn from the experience.”

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Sources: fciwomenswrestling.com, teenshealth.org, helpguide.org, au.reachout.com, thank you Wikimedia Commons for great photos.