I went to a large state university out of state. (It was relatively cheap then. ) My college friends are all over the country, but they continue to be people who lead interesting lives, and I love the rare opportunities I have to talk or visit with them, even after decades out of college. Not closest in the sense of every day life, but at the risk of sounding maudlin, among those I cherish most. More frequent contact for the current things-in-life: childhood friend by text, work friend by email and friend from hometown in metro area, but not geographically close. Sadly, no others even after years of living here. Wish I could have given my kids a neighborhood community that cared about them in the same vein that I had growing up. Hope they find some life-long friends in college.

My closest friends are from college. None of them are local...they are spread out all across the country. I'm in my early 30s and went to a SLAC.

Nope, and I LOVED college and had an awesome time. I went out of state though, and after college came back to where I grew up. Most of my friends are from high school, or people I've met in my adulthood.

For the first ten years after college, yes. We have changed a lot over the years, and I don't feel as close to them now, 15 years later. Even my best friend and I have drifted apart, and it makes me wonder how good of a friend she really was to begin with (long story).

My best friends now are a group of moms from my neighborhood. They're kind and thoughtful, and I feel like they care about me and my family in ways that my college friends do not. When you think about it, college is only four years of your life. Sure, it's your first time out in the world on your own, but life changes so much after you leave.

I'm 32 and yes, most of my close friends are from my college circle. I love that. I also went to a school with an immense amount of pride and camaraderie and sense of community, and if I'm in another city for work or need something and even just an acquaintance from college is around or able to help out, they do so without even batting an eye, as I would too for them. It's a very special thing to have.

Anonymous wrote:Looking at my friends and family, it's only a small percentage whose closest friends were made during college. That surprised me, as one pitch my DS has heard throughout the app process is that finding the right fit college is also about finding your future friends for life. What's been your experience?

no…wow, no. I did meet my DH in law school, so he has two good friends from there, and 15 years out still keeps in touch with a group of them but just periodic email only. He has two friends from childhood that he thinks are close but my impression is it's one-way. All these people, btw, are not in town. So the guys he hangs out with in town are some dads from our kids' school.

I have zero friends kept from college. I have one from high school, and one from law school and the "fit" is imperfect so I wouldn't call them my closest friends. It's more because of geographic and relationship history that we are in touch. My three closest friends are moms I met over the years, and I think they are lifers.

I have friends from all over my life stages. College choice should be picked on program and culture.

My closest friends are from college. I graduated decades ago and went to a Northeast SLAC. After all these years I still have the best equation with my former college classmates.

No, college was an interim stage in my life, and it was geographically isolated from the rest of my life. Most of my close friends in DC are from grad school, volunteering, or my kid's school. I am also in touch with a lot of people from high school.

Closest friends are those I met on my first professional job after grad school; I also have some closer friends from college too.

Just DH. Both of my bros married women they met in college as well.

I have one close friend from college and many that I keep up with yearly New Year's cards. I keep up with a few from HS through annual cards too. My sister is still best friends with her 7th grade lab partner. they now live in a different state from where we grew up, but are a block and a half from each other. .

OTOH, we vacation every three years with 4 or 5 other families from DH's college time. We have been doing this for 20+ years. The oldest children are in their 20's and youngest in MS. We have hiked in Washington State, Met on the Maine Coast three times, Ithaca NY once, Cape Cod once, YMCA Camp of the Rockies once and Oregon halfway between Crater Lake and Bend. This summer we will be on the Olympic Peninsula. I look forward to it every time. I hope we can find common place for retirement as we are currently all over the country.

DH and I met in college, and we have several close friends from college still. None of these friends live in the same city as we do though. But when we do see each other, we pick right up where we left off in a way that we don't with any other friends, really.

My closest friends are from grade school. I have 2 good friends from college. I have 1 good friend from my current neighborhood (but many acquaintances). I have a many good friends at work.

The ones I would call if shit hit the fan are from grade school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, my closest friends are from college - actually from a year abroad program we did together. We have been close for decades. We oddly never talk about college or the past - they are very much a part of my daily life.

And to the bitter PP above - it has nothing to do with when we "peaked". If you don't have friends from college - that is okay, too.

PP here. Who says I am bitter? If anything, they are, as on some level I think they realize how foolish they sound rooting for The Team and still talking about Kappa Kappa K days, at the age of 45.

I have close friends from college (even a few sorority sisters). I can't remember the last time I talked to any of them about college. We stayed friends because our lives went in similar directions and we still enjoy doing the same things.