The Friends You Need in Life

College is a confusing time for everybody – we’re all growing up and in some circumstances growing apart from our friends. But which friends should you keep? Luckily, Valley has the scoop on the friends who will benefit you through every stage of your life.

The childhood friend

Even though we’re all changing and growing up, it’s always good to have that one friend from your childhood and teen years who you can hang out with at home for various reasons. First of all, it’s someone from home to hang out with when you’re on a break, and secondly, it’s nice to be with someone who takes you back to the good days when your biggest worry was when your parents bought you faux UGGS.

The brutally honest friend

Not only will she tell you when an outfit is unflattering, but she’s great with advice because she’s more concerned about what’s best for you than hurting your feelings. Sometimes the truth hurts, but it’s for the best, and you need a friend to tell you.

The techie

Seriously, if you aren’t friends with someone who understands why your printer isn’t working, you need to find one. Don’t abuse their brainpower though; make sure you genuinely like them or your friendship will grow old very quickly.

The one who’s always out

Sometimes you want to stay in and watch re-runs of Say Yes to the Dress, but for those times you want to let loose, it’s always good to have a friend who can tell you about six different parties and will probably make an appearance at all six of them. If she isn’t out, she’s probably willing and will be ready to leave as soon as you text her. On the other hand…

The homebody

For those nights that you do want to binge-watch Say Yes to the Dress, it’s always nice to do it with a good friend (or two). There’s always a friend who prefers to stay in rather than go out, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be alone.

The BFF

She’s probably all types of friends wrapped up into one, and she knows you better than you know yourself. On top of all of that, you keep all of your secrets and don’t judge each other. Everybody needs their BFF, whether she’s at college or at home, or you have one (or two) at both.

Photo by Sam Florio