Opinion: It’s Harder to Make Friends at a Small College.

The Lonely Odyssey: Sailing through Friendships in the Diminutive Seas of a Small College

Embarking on the grand adventure of college, my vessel landed in the quaint harbor of a small school. Sure, I've had my fair share of social escapades, made a couple of comrades, but alas, having navigated the landscape of a small school, I've encountered a unique set of challenges in forming meaningful connections. Despite sincere efforts, the constraints of a limited student body size have proven to be a hurdle, leaving me to grapple with the complexities of social dynamics in confined space. Join me in this tale, seasoned with my peculiar blend of wit, dramatics, and pessimism, as we navigate the choppy waters of forming connections in a pocket-sized campus.

Challenges of Making Friends:

The scarcity of opportunities for interpersonal connections arises from the dual challenges of limited diversity and the difficulty of penetrating existing social circles. In the microcosm of a small school, diversity is about as elusive as a unicorn on roller skates. Niche interests? Forget about it. Anything slightly interdisciplinary? It's like searching for a needle in a haystack during a power outage. I’ve seen over and over now how anything niche or interdisciplinary would fall through the cracks. While seeing familiar faces repeatedly fosters relationships, it simultaneously poses challenges in avoiding those you'd rather not interact with or those you gaslighted yourself into believing don’t want to interact with you. And oh, breaking into social circles? Picture trying to crash a secret society meeting armed only with a smile and a knock-knock joke. Familiar faces abound forms a social tapestry more interwoven than crocheted animals in Stitch Club, but escaping the clutches of the routine encounters is like trying to sneak out of a family gathering unnoticed.

Effects of a Smaller Student Body:

In a small school, the specter of high school dynamics emerges, with cliques and popularity playing a more pronounced role. Rumors spread from corner to corner faster than silent farts during exams. You're not just a face in the crowd; you're a walking mural, with every brushstroke of rumor and opinion clinging to you like a static-charged sock on laundry day. Individuals are ultimately remembered, leading to a lack of anonymity. The challenge intensifies for those dealing with social anxiety or a sense of isolation.

In my daily journals, I've penned down not just my escapades but also my existential crises, like feeling like a 'loser' because my roommate pulled a Houdini. The illusion of anonymity in a smaller school is shattered faster than my dreams of acing that chemistry test.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room—or rather, the dwindling reservoir of potential friendships. At bigger schools, UC Davis or SFSU for example, each person is a mysterious book waiting to be explored, a potential friend yet to be discovered. In a small school, like UOP, as you pass by the same people sometimes too often in many mundane moments, it's like the all-to-familiar book you’ve skimmed on occasion and pretend to flip through when you have company so you seem cultured. The faucet rejuvenating the reservoir that once gushed boundlessly is now barely trickling, like my motivation during finals week. 

"Popularity Doesn't Exist in College":

Oh, the fallacy! Contrary to the notion that college is immune to popularity contests, a smaller student body can magnify social hierarchies. Popularity here is not just a concept; it's a full-blown Broadway production with fraternities, sororities, and cliques taking center stage. It's like reliving high school, only this time with a smaller cast and a more intense soundtrack of social hierarchies.

The Sense of Isolation:

Walking off campus alone feels like venturing into a deserted island, and not the cool kind with palm trees and coconuts. The sense of being trapped is so palpable; I half-expect a pirate to demand my social sanity as ransom.

Adjusting to College:

Adjusting to college life? The loss of familial support, the pressure cooker of responsibilities, and the communal bathroom that's a breeding ground for unspeakable horrors—evoke the vibes of a Netflix series that got too dark too quickly. And let’s just say I figured out why “dorm life” isn’t spelt with two r’s (“dorrm life”). Hint: it’s for the same reason “desert” isn’t spelt with two s’s like “dessert” is. We sure don’t want to go through the former twice. Hmm, then again, if deserts are equal and opposite to desserts, I wonder what “dorrm life” would be like… I hope sweet. Anyway, let’s wrap this up.

Fin:

In this small-college odyssey, where loneliness is the uninvited companion, we must remember that every laugh, every shared moment, and every friend made is a victory against the isolation monster. So, let's raise a toast to camaraderie, even if it's just with your floormate who’s also washing dishes at 1 AM or your previous lab TA who you’re catching up with—awkwardness and all.

One of the hardest parts of transitioning to college life was the “losing” of all the love you thought you deserved and so readily received at home. It is important to realize that no one roots for you or loves you the way your parents, family, and closest friends do, and especially not a bunch of strangers. It takes time to change to fit this new niche, it takes time to grow the love and receive a new type of love, and it takes a lot of failure and rejection. In navigating the landscape of a small school, the difficulty of making friends transcends the individual, becoming a shared experience for many. As we grapple with the intricacies of college life, it's essential to recognize the impact of social dynamics on mental well-being and advocate for the importance of fostering a supportive community, regardless of the institution's size.