Yeah, they said undergrad life would be fun. Sure, you'll have to study hard, but no doubt you'll make lots of friends, and then you'll have fun together.
I've made lots of friends. But no close ones.
Let me explain.
It seems like the NBS atmosphere is on the whole of NTU. I feel pretentious smiles and conversations surround me everywhere I go. You know those types: they claim to be your friend. You smile and wave as you pass by each other in the corridors and the canteen. But who knows what they're thinking behind those smiles? Maybe they want to get close to you because you're smart, or so they think. Why else would two who have nothing in common save for a few tutorials sit together and talk?
Am I the paranoid one? Do you think I'm imagining these monsters? Well... How sure are you that you're not the one in a pink and fluffy utopia of your own creation? There are hypocrites everywhere, it's only whether you notice them or not.
But in the gloom, I guess there are always nice people, the only candles in the darkness. There's the people I always sit with during lecture. You could say they're a start to a slow friendship, perhaps because I only see them thrice a week.
And then there's the CO people. Three hours twice a week, plus bus rides home, can really make a good friendship. Especially when it's a boring three hours. Having common interests help too.
Why am I saying all this? Because sometimes it's useful to differentiate between friends and acquaintances. Who, for instance, will heed my call when I'm on the verge on mental breakdown. Who can understand and accept my psychotic and extreme alter-egos? Who can love me as I really am?
I wonder who can stand the test of time and trial in friendship.