College is a whirlwind. Our days are packed with lectures, club meetings, countless assignments, and this constant desire to prove to ourselves that we belong here. But here’s the truth no one puts on the syllabus: what makes college not only survivable but truly special are the people you go through it with.
Friends are the ones who turn unfamiliar hallways into places you look forward to walking every day. They’re the reason you feel comfortable sitting down in the dining hall or walking into class, even when you’re having the kind of day where nothing feels quite right. Friendship is one of the most underrated forms of self-care, and at a place like Notre Dame, where community is taken seriously, it might just be the most important one.
When you sit with friends, every day becomes memorable. A late-night snack run, or what my roommate and I like to call “plate of fries,” suddenly feels more like a mini sidequest. Even a stressful exam week becomes manageable when someone is sitting across from you in the library whispering, “We’ve got this,” until you both gaslight each other into actually believing it. Because it really is your friends that keep you going through tough weeks when you have five exams lined up, or when you’re scrambling to find the right heels for your formal. Friends are also like mini-parents. When you’re sick, they show up with medicine and snacks, and when you’re upset, they sit with you and listen until the world feels a little less heavy. They are the steadying force behind the chaos.
Some of the best moments on campus don’t happen at big events or in lecture halls—they happen in the in-between. Having someone to walk with across campus in the freezing Indiana winter to that dreaded 8:00 a.m. orgo exam in Stepan Center (shout out Ava Jablonski!!). Or renting out a room in Hesburgh just to watch the Moreau documentary that every first-year has to watch together. These friendship-powered moments are what make ND feel like ND. Or what I like to say, they make the Dome into a Home!
And sometimes, you find the Notre Dame community when you least expect it. One time, my Notre Dame/Seattle friends and I managed to switch seats on our flight so we could all sit in one row together. Even thousands of feet in the air, that feeling of “We’re in this together” shows up—in green and gold.
Research shows that strong friendships reduce stress, boost confidence, and improve overall well-being. But even without the research, we feel it. Friends are the ones who remind you that who you are is enough. They’re the ones who see your strengths on the days when you can’t.
Finding your community is so important, but it doesn’t always happen overnight. And although it’s a little embarrassing to admit, it took me almost a full year here at ND to truly find mine. At first, I thought everyone else already had their groups figured out, and I felt behind somehow. But friendship isn’t a race. It grows through small moments, awkward first conversations, and showing up again. Once I found the people who made me feel at home, everything about campus felt different. Brighter. Warmer. More like a place where I don’t just study—I belong.
So, while the academics, traditions, and opportunities are all incredible parts of college, it’s the friendships that shape the experience. They are the reason we grow, stay grounded, and keep going, even when life gets overwhelming.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not where you are that matters most.
It’s who you have walking beside you.