Newsletter (2017-2018) December 2017 Newsletter | Page 16

...or further expand your social network, even if these friendships will be more distant? with whom to share your happiness and sad- ness. There are a lot of things that you can do together to enjoy life. Your laughs and smiles become pleasant memories, which are good gifts for future to review. However, this kind of relationship does not consider other people’s well-being. When other people want to become friends with you, although you want to become friends with them as well, they will feel isolated from you, as you and your “guimi” have more common interests that others may not share. Additionally, you will find it boring to be part of this small social circle of you and your only friend. You would be in a social bubble and it becomes difficult for you to explore the colour- ful outside world. As time passes, you will feel tired of playing with only one other person, and there some potential troubles may arise between you. When these accumulated problems burst, the friendship between you could be complete- ly corrupted. Therefore, it is true that having a “guimi” is good for you to enrich your life, but there exists the risk that you’ll feel bored or that your friendship will breakdown. On the other hand, maintaining weaker friend- ships with many individuals could be seen as a strategy that focuses on building social capital, helping you deal smoothly with academic and social affairs. This strategy could save enough more time for you to do what you personally en- joy by having friends assist you in your work. This type may be more suitable for who just want to make superficial friendships with oth- ers. However, this kind of student may have a hard time developing a sense of belonging. By not maintaining strong friendship with others, although others may assist you during group project, when you encounter trouble, you might not have someone you can truly trust to turn to. These friends will rarely help you, because your distant friendship as means that there is no rea- son for them to support you when it is inconve- nient for them. I believe that it is better to forge both kinds of friendships with others in order to maintain a more balanced social life. Make deep friendships with one or a select few and maintain more shal- low relationships with several others. Further- more, it’s important to manage the extent of each of your friendship. If you have an extremely strong friendship, be sure not to make others feel excluded. As for more distant friendships, you should not just take advantage of your friends, but you should share yourself and help others wholeheartedly. In reality, the situation is more complicated. Based on personal preference, choose the approach what you think is best. If you meet a person who you can get along well with or with whom you share the same interests and values, cherish them. It may be the destiny for you to be friends. June is a girl from a mountain town studying Greater China Studies. She is a nature enthusiast. 17   DECEMBER 2017