How to Keep in Touch with University Friends Over the Summer

Going home for the summer can be a shock to the system. Your life is suddenly different, as you’re back to living with family and far from the people you spend every day with. You’re used to being able to see your friends whenever you want — now, you need to put in extra effort to stay in touch. To keep your friendships strong for when you return in the fall, there are a few things you need to do.

1. Choose a Way to Stay Connected

Pick a platform that all your friends like to use. This may be texting, social media, or even regular video chats. Consider how busy you’ll be over the summer and be realistic about how often you’ll be able to check in with your friends. Bear in mind that some of your summer activities may take up a large amount of your time and you’ll likely want to spend time with family and hometown friends. Besides, it’s not good for your mental health to be constantly connected online.

2. Send Interesting Updates

Always have a reason to reach out to your friends — don’t just say “Hi” and expect them to provide a topic of conversation. Share news about what you’ve been doing or ask followup questions about things they told you about previously. Failing that, you can always reflect on the great memories you have from university.

3. Make a Group Text

If you have a close-knit group of friends, it may be worth starting a group text where you can all chat together. You may even like to set up a few if you have various groups of friends at university, such as one for your friends taking the same major, another for your sports team, and another for those who attend the same campus club. Chatting in a group makes it easier to keep the conversation flowing and means you don’t need to message each person individually with your news.

4. Celebrate Birthdays and Holidays

Remember your university friends during important events, such as holidays. If any of your friends have birthdays over the summer, send them a special message or perhaps a small gift.

5. Meet Up

The best way of all to stay in touch with your friends over the summer is to actually see them. Organize some trips to visit them where they live or ask them to visit you. You could even plan a road trip with a group of friends and pay each person’s hometown a visit.

Alternatively, you may prefer to stay in your university town over the summer instead of going back to your hometown. This will mean you can take advantage of various opportunities over the summer, such as an internship, summer classes, or the chance to continue working at your part-time job. Plus, you’ll be around all your friends who also decided to stay. To make this possible, all you need to do is find student apartments. Ottawa students should look no further than 1Eleven. You’ll be able to spend your free time over the summer in the fitness centre, the games room, and your large suite, which is perfect for entertaining. Book a tour to check out your new space.