When I’m home, I watch The Bachelor every Monday with my family. We laugh about the odd group dates, the catfights and the cheesy tag-lines. I don’t have cable at school, but I view episodes on Hulu when I get the chance.

None of my Stanford friends watch The Bachelor, at least not regularly. I can talk to my parents or my brother about what we think of Arie (the current bachelor), but my friends have no idea who he is.

I came to college excited to make friends. I thought that through dorms, classes and student groups, I would find people that I have a lot in common with. But while I have made good friends here, I’ve found that none of them watch the same shows as I do. Initially, that made small talk harder, since we couldn’t talk about the same TV episodes.

The Bachelor is (dare I say) a big part of my life. It helps me unwind amidst the whirlwind of the quarter system, and it makes me smile when I’m not feeling that great. Sometimes, I wish I could share that with my college friends, but ultimately it’s okay that I don’t. We have other important things in common like being in the same student groups or having similar personality traits.

Sometimes, you and your friends will be totally different. There’s a reason that the trope “opposites attract” has lasted so long. Often, you can connect with people in ways that you wouldn’t expect.

While it’s nice to have friends introduce you to new hobbies or shows, don’t feel obligated to change what you love to fit in with others. Everyone needs a way to unwind, especially when you’re in college. The key is to hold on to what makes you happy.

And if you are a Bachelor fan at Stanford – know that you’re not alone.

 

Contact Kristen Lee at klee23 ‘at’ stanford.edu.