As I approached the doors of Glenbrook South for the first time my freshman year, I was greeted by a group of friends that I had known since kindergarten. I was exceptionally grateful for that familiarity, and I still am. But now, I am also grateful that as I walk through the same doors my senior year, I am greeted with different faces.

Now, my day-to-day life at South is spent with a mosaic of people. I eat lunch with friends who I have known forever, then head to my elective class where I have found a strong community, attend a club with friendly faces, and then play  on a team  composed of friends who have only ever stepped foot on South’s campus when they arrive for their away soccer game. 

What has led me to acquire these different friend groups is not a strive for popularity. Instead, I have found that most of my friendships are cultivated by curiosity and open-mindedness. Each social circle that I am a part of teaches me different ways to listen, learn, and think. Together, they have helped me gain a better perspective on what life looks like through many different lenses. 

Stepping outside of comfort zone and entering new spaces is what changed my experience and it is something anyone can choose to do. Joining classes, activities, or sports that you do not have any knowledge in is a start to immersing yourself in a group of people with different interests than your own. This  discomfort and unfamiliarity with other people in the room is an opportunity to expand socially. 

To maximize well-being, it is optimal for about 50 percent of a person’s friends to be similar to them and about 50 percent dissimilar, according to the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. 

The greatest thing about adopting this mindset is that it extends beyond South. 

Some of my best friendships were made through a sport where a majority of my aquaintances do not attend South. Whether it is through a job, a sport, or a shared interest, connecting with people from other schools and towns exposed me to different social norms and trends that were foreign to me. 

This impact is shown at South, as 91 percent of students reported that being in different friend groups has made them gain perspective and empathy, according to an unscientific survey of 315 students conducted by The Oracle. Having these perspectives can not only be beneficial to navigating friendships, but can also broaden your worldview and reduce biases, according to Mind24-7, a mental health service provider.

Now when I walk through the doors of South every morning, I look forard to the uncertainty of who I will be greeted by. 

So, branch out to groups whose routines or interests do not mirror your own, because being willing to step into unfamiliar spaces is what can lead to growth and maybe even a new friend.