My Innocent Friend,

Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when entering a new phase of your life where everything is unknown and new. The thought of not being with the friends you have had for what seems a lifetime, can be daunting and you may feel very alone.

However, the exciting part of this new world which you are about to enter, is the fact that there are so many different people out there and that making friends and building on those friendships are not just possible, but a given.

While you may think that there is no way in which bonds can be formed in the few short years you are at University, as most of your friendships have been 12 years in the making, it is possible, and it is these bonds which will most likely last a lifetime.

It will amaze you how open people are and how people who have never met can instantly become friends. You may think this strange as at school, you proboably stuck with the only friendships you knew. However, as everything is new and unknown at the beginning of University, you are able to meet different people from various walks of life and perhaps step beyond your comfort zone.

While some friendships are instantaneous, an immediate bond, others take time to form and develop and there are those which begin anew through a friend, societies, subjects or a chance encounter. Friendships are everywhere and it is up to you to trust yourself enough and let these friendships become a reality.

The memories which you make with these new friends are memories which will last a lifetime and while it may be hard to let go of old friends, it is the making of new friends which offer an opportunity for you to grow and become part of an exciting, stimulating and fulfilling new web of amazing, supportive friends.