Kailey Krantz | Staff Writer
Being lonely in college might be the death of me. As a fully online student, it isn’t as easy to make new friends as you would if you went to in-person classes.
When I first started college, I was hoping that I would be able to connect with people like I would in high school. While I was able to begin a friendship with some classmates, eventually the conversations faded away once the semester ended.
Looking back, I wondered what the point of connecting with my peers would be if I wasn’t going to see them in person. Then again, it didn’t take away from the loneliness I felt throughout my college years.
It felt like looking inside the window of a party instead of being inside the party.
A part of me wishes I went out more often and met people, but at the same time what else could I do? I didn’t have a car, I was unfamiliar with the campus pathways and I didn’t want to intrude on other people’s time for an event that might not pan out in the end.
It’s easy to say “Go outside and meet people,” but what is hard is finding a community where we feel like we belong.
It also takes a toll on our mental health because it can feel like you’re standing in a desert with nothing and no one in sight. Without a community, we feel alone and it can send us into a dark place because we don’t have anyone to talk to.
According to a Gallup poll, 39% of college students said they have experienced loneliness since the COVID-19 pandemic— that’s a third of people who feel like they’re alone in the world.
That is why having a community is so important, it can reduce our feelings of loneliness by connecting with people who have the same interests as us. It can make us feel seen and make getting through life more bearable.
If there are some people within your class that you’d like to get to know better, set up a group chat and text each other. You could also plan fun things to do when everyone has a free day away from school or work.
We’re human beings, so we’re designed to seek connection by meeting other people. Through connection, we feel less alone in the world.
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The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect the perspectives of contributing writers and/or university community members.
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