Friendships are very important to most college students. At a time when we are away from home and doing things that do not involve our families, friends are all we have to keep us treading the waters of college.

People make friends with other people that they can relate to. My question is, how do we go about seeking the friendship of our unsuspecting college mates? Flirting with the opposite gender is fun and easy. Heck, you don’t even need to open your mouth to flirt because you can use your eyes. When it comes to making a platonic friend however, undressing someone with your eyes is not the way to go. So where does this leave us?

There is a girl in one of my classes that seems to have similar views with me that I notice when she expresses her opinion. She wears clothes I like, and I could totally imagine us hitting the town and getting all the dudes together. Here’s the problem: we only chit-chat before and after class. I don’t know if she would be interested in spending time with me outside of class. What if she has her own friend group and has decided not to seek out any new friends? Do people do that?

I think most people are down to make new friends though. My current plan of action is to continue chit-chats with this potential pal through the next week of classes and then try to invite her to a party with me.  It almost feels like I am trying to take this girl on a date. The fear of rejection is real, and whether it is for a love interest or just a friend, this fear can keep us from reaching out. Essentially, I would be taking her on a date.

I would be showing my interest and giving her the opportunity to see that I am fun and do interesting things.  If only we could all suspend our fear, more people would have an easier time at gaining friendship from those they desire. The worst that could happen is that this desired friend of yours will have a terrible time with you, hate you forever and give you nasty looks in class. But the risk makes the challenge that much more exciting, right?