by Bethany Leino

Created on: July 13, 2009   Last Updated: July 18, 2009

Social interaction during your college career is vital, and not just the kind of social interaction that involves a room full of people and a keg. Far more than just providing a good time having friends in college can provide many valuable assets, such as study help, stress release, information and future connections. It is particularly useful to gain friends within your own major. Your future could greatly benefit from the connections you make now. These friends can improve your grades, provide tremendous stress relief, and most importantly provide networking which can provide resources throughout your future career.

Having a person to study with for those tough tests really can improve your grades overall. When you study with another person you gain another way of thinking. Concepts that may be fuzzy to you may be easily explained by your partner and vice versa. Also, it often turns out when you take the time to explain an idea out loud to another it helps you to memorize and solidify the idea in your own mind. If you can correctly explain a concept to another then you probably know it well enough to prove it on a test. Being able to argue and bounce ideas off of other people can sometimes teach a student better than the original lecture can.

Of course when that test is finally over it's nice to have someone to relax with. A friend that is in your major has also shared your experiences, classes and professors. When you complain about something, chances are they've been there too. They may be able to provide insight about how to cope with a particular class or teacher, or may just provide an ear to dump on for a brief time. It can be nice to be able to complain in your career specific jargon, and have them understand and agree. Friends can also provide notes and help you catch up if you've missed something, which most students inevitably will. Even if you don't feel comfortable forming an official study group, get contacts of students around you so you can catch up on any information you missed. If you have a good network supporting you getting through the rough parts will become easier. Sometimes just having someone near who's going through the same thing as you can be enough encouragement to keep going.

On the topic of networking, remember that if you and your friends succeed you will be working in the same field. Knowing the right people can be invaluable when it comes time to get that new job. They may even someday be in the position to recommend you for a job. Your colleagues are not just social partners, but valuable references in the marketplace. The more people that know your name (in a good way) the better. This includes your professors. If your professors get to know you by name and you have stood out to them as a good student they can often provide valuable connections. Whether these connections be a job, and internship, or even just volunteer opportunities that will stand out on your resume, they are incredibly valuable. Even if your friend or teacher can't provide that connection, they may be able to introduce you to a new person closer to your exact field. Anyone you can get to know in your future career path can help you. It certainly won't hurt.

So don't be shy! Get to know your classmates and colleagues! They can provide wonderful insight, great stress relief and valuable resources.

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