Every step in life brings new opportunities and friendships, and college is not any different. Once you join college, you will spend more time away from your high school or home friends. Consequently, you’ll have to form new bonds. But developing friendships in college is quite challenging, especially for international students.
It is best to understand that disagreements are inevitable to make the few bonds you have formed last. How you handle such low moments in your relationship determines if your fellowship crumbles or grows stronger.
Whether you’ve been wronged or are in the wrong, both of you have to come up with solutions on how to work things out so that the trust you had isn’t completely lost. Here’re great tips to regain confidence in your college friendship.
Accept that you’re in the wrong
Once you realise you’ve wronged your pal, the first step should be to accept your mistake without making excuses. Sometimes we may be tempted to explain, but it may come out as a justification. Therefore, it is best to take the blame without justifying your actions.
Accepting that you were wrong doesn’t mean that your pal will forgive you immediately. So it would be best if you were prepared to manage any reaction you’ll receive from them.
Expecting things to return to normal immediately can indicate that you disregard their emotions. Thus, you should give your friend time to process everything. Some friendships are not worth losing, especially if you stand to gain a lot from studies to have a confidant. Some buddies can help you with your essay, and you may not find yourself asking, “Who can I pay to write my paper for me?” So it would help if you were willing to sort things out.
Apologise genuinely
Sometimes the reaction we get from our friend can be unexpected, especially if we think we have made a minor mistake. In such circumstances, pride may come to play, and you may feel there is no need to apologise since your pal is overreacting. But you should be aware that people react differently to different circumstances.
It is best to respect your friend’s emotions by tendering a heartfelt apology even if you feel they shouldn’t be angry. A genuine apology should not have the word “but” as it could imply an excuse or justification for your actions.
An insincere apology can be like, “I know I wronged you, but I did so because I was angry at you too.” Such defensive statements can’t count as an apology and may strain your friendship even more. So if you wronged your friend, take some time to write a genuine apology before heading online.
Be patient and empathetic
We cannot create terms under which we can be forgiven or for someone to trust us again. Therefore, you should give your buddy time to process everything. Once you acknowledge that disagreements are inevitable in relationships, you’ll be more patient with your pal.
Just because you want to get past it doesn’t mean the other party is fully healed. Therefore, you need to move at their pace. Also, you can put yourself in their home. How would you have handled the situation if you were wronged? After apologising, you can let your buddy know you’ll give them space to process everything. So let them be alone for some time while you do something else like browsing websites.
Do not give up on the friendship
Sometimes friendships in college keep us going amidst the school stresses and chaos; your friend could be your voice of reason. They could even talk you into doing your assignment instead of going online to buy essays cheaply. Just a word of reassurance from them can bring back your confidence.
Additionally, you may be far away from family, and your buddies may not fill the void, but they can be instrumental in making you feel at home. The bottom line is that you should not discard healthy friendships due to minor disagreements.
Friendships in college are not just for the company. Your pal can be your study partner; therefore, you should consider all the things you have gained from the fellowship and if they are worth losing because of one disagreement.
Singing off
Some people may find solace in solitude, while others work best with genuine friendships. Sometimes these friendships serve as our mental anchorage and help us find our identity. It’s essential to value and fight for healthy friendships. Disagreements are bound to be there but how you handle them makes the difference. Once you comprehend how to manage your disputes, you can trust each other.
For many years, Adam Stone helped students who need essays in such subjects as Religion and Theology.
