College students: Make sure to keep in touch

This June, I covered two graduations in our area. Watching the students accept their diplomas made me slightly envious, and I wished I could feel the excitement of starting a new chapter in my life once again. Then, seeing tears well up in their eyes as they embraced friends and family, my jealousy subsided. I remember that overwhelming feeling of saying goodbye to high school, which had become so comfortable and familiar to me, and I was glad that feeling had passed.

It isn't easy putting the past behind you, especially when your elders insist that you'll soon lose touch with all your high school friends, regardless of how close you once were. However, with the prevalence of technology we have today, it's become much easier to keep in touch.

Whether your friends are going to college a mile away or a 100 miles away, it is possible to maintain the relationships you had growing up. I'm still just as close with my friends today as I was on our first day of senior year.

Simply take some time out of your day to send an email, text or Facebook message asking how things are going. Send a photo that reminds you of an inside joke.

Ask when his or her Thanksgiving break, Christmas break or spring break is. When you're home to catch up in person, things will pick up right where they left off.

Then of course, it's important to make new friends at school. If you're the quiet type, like me, remember that all other freshmen are experiencing the same things you are.

When it comes to making friends in your hall, leave your door open. Someone is bound to poke their head in to ask if you want to join them for dinner, or a volleyball game, or just a walk around (this is the part where you say, "Yes!").

In class, introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you. If that seems cheesy, start a conversation by asking about an assignment. One of my closest friends at school first spoke to me by complaining about a grade she got, and it broke the ice. Because we share the same major, we have a lot of classes together, and it's nice to see a familiar face whenever a new semester begins.

Depending on the size of your school, you may also notice that you have different groups of friends in college friends you study with, friends you hang out with on weekends, friends you eat lunch with between classes. After high school, you're probably not used to this sort of thing, but it's good to be well-rounded.

Friends aside, you should remember that no matter how much you're enjoying the freedom of college, you need to maintain relationships with your family as well.

I find that it's actually harder to keep in touch with family members because there are just so many of them. I try to communicate based on each particular person's liking.

Because my mom always wants to know what I'm up to, I send her pictures constantly. As for grandparents, a simple phone call once a week is enough to make their day. For those who are more tech-savvy, Skype or Facetime is probably the most personal form of communication.

If you're planning to maintain a long-distance relationship, don't worry, you're not doomed. If you want to have a healthy long-distance relationship, I'd say there are two vital things to remember: communicate often and have trust.

No matter who you've moved away from, it's true when they say absence makes the heart grow fonder.