With summer quickly approaching, most Biola students returning for the next academic year are making their plans for leaving La Mirada until the fall semester. While this is good news to some, others are dreading leaving their friends and significant others. Our time at college creates deep bonds with one another. However, with commitment and hard work, your friendships or relationship can survive the distance. Here are five tips to help stay connected despite the mileage.
SKYPE OFTEN
Schedule Skype dates on a regular basis and follow through with your plans. You can create special memories even if you are hundreds of miles away.
Freshman cinema and media arts major Holton Witman maintains a long distance relationship with his girlfriend from home while he attends school at Biola. Since school takes up the majority of the year, Witman and his girlfriend often miss important holidays with each other. To make up for this, Witman decided to mimic a real date via Skype.
“Sometimes we’ll do Skype dates, so for example, on [our] year and a half anniversary, we got all dressed up and we sat down to a nice dinner and Skyped over dinner,” Witman said.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is a must-have for keeping in touch with friends, especially those out of the country. Freshman psychology major Angela Park lives in South Korea and relies on Facebook to keep her updated on her friends’ lives.
“Facebook is really convenient, actually,” Park comments. “You don’t have to take initiative — everything just comes on your [newsfeed] and you just have to scroll down. If I’m curious about what [my friends] are doing over the summer, if I want to ask about what they uploaded on Facebook, I’ll be commenting on everything.”
Other social media outlets are handy when trying to stay up-to-date with friends. Snapchat allows friends to capture moments of their day, while Twitter provides a place to converse and share thoughts. The majority of popular social media platforms are also easily accessible around the world, which breaks many barriers that distance builds between friends overseas.
TAKE A ROAD TRIP
If possible, make plans to reunite during the summer. Grab a few friends and drive to visit someone in a different state. Not only will this give you a chance to reunite before the start of school, but you will get to experience their hometown in person. Plan a couple of days that work best for all of you and get ready to hit the road. Being able to spend quality face-to-face time will strengthen your relationship and leave you rejuvenated for the remainder of summer.
BE THEIR PEN PAL
As cheesy as it sounds, paper and pen have not died. Write letters to each other or send small gifts or pictures. Be creative — send mixtapes, photos or thoughtful gifts. If gifts or long letters are not up your alley, send a simple card on a regular basis. Handwritten notes are simple, yet sentimental.
Sophomore cinema and media arts major Mitchell Griffith says he and his girlfriend, who is also a student at Biola, use snail-mail to lessen the distance.
“We will do the same thing we did over winter break, probably,” Griffith said. “We had a phone call a week and sent letters back and forth.”
While texts and phone calls are convenient, the art of crafting and receiving handwritten letters can communicate in ways that get lost in technology. Additionally, it can be fun to have a reason to check the mailbox once in awhile.
MAKE A COUNTDOWN
A reminder of the next time you will be reunited is reassuring and motivating. Cross off the days on your calendar or make a banner to remind you of your reunion. Keep the count-down somewhere you will pass by everyday. You can even download a countdown app to your phone and set reminders for milestone days. The time will fly by and you will be reunited with your loved one or friends before you know it.
