Prior to graduating from high school, you tend to see the same people everyday, and have been for the past four or so years. There may be some cases where you and a select few peers followed each other from school to school as you transitioned from elementary to secondary school. My point being, you basically were surrounded by the same types of people year after year. Once you get to college, though, you reach a whole new demographic of people, being exposed to different characters on almost a daily basis. I’ve scoured the many lengthy lists that describe just about every type of person you encounter during your four or so years in college. Here, I’ve narrowed it down to five different characters that I myself have encountered over the past four years.

1. The Social Butterfly

There is always that one person who knows just about everyone, that one person that just about everyone knows. There are days when you’re hanging out with that person, and as you walk the length of campus together, you find that you are unable to take 10 steps without that person spotting someone that they met that one time in that one class or that one club. It can get a little daunting at times because you yourself start to question little aspects of yourself and that friendship – what if you’re just a face in the crowd that is that person’s social life? On the flip side, what if that person has a completely normal social life and yours is the one that’s lacking? As somebody who is sometimes considered to be “popular” due to the number of familiar faces I see on campus everyday, I would like to put your minds at ease and let you know that there is nothing wrong with that person’s social life, nor is there a problem with yours. We all socialize in different ways and find our comfort zones in different places. I would much prefer to have a small handful of close friends, but it doesn’t hurt to know a few more people outside your normal social circles.

2. The Elusive Unicorn

Remember that one dude you worked with on a group project in history class that you immediately added on Facebook because he was kind of a cool guy but never saw again after the end of the quarter but is apparently now a huge YouTube star? (Believe it or not, this isn’t an exaggeration – this actually happened to me). Anyway, not all situations pan out the way this very specific situation did, but we all know of that one person that we hit it off with in a class, but never hear from again after that class came to an end. You know that they’re still alive because they’re somewhat active on social media, yet you hardly see them around campus anymore. Also it’s not like you can just shoot them a text to hang out because you forgot to get their number, and there’s absolutely no way you are going to Facebook message them because at this point, it would be awkward. Despite not seeing them around anymore – it is a college campus, after all – you’re still glad you met that person because they made that class where you knew absolutely nobody a little more bearable. Don’t worry, if it’s written in the stars, your paths will cross again, and you can awkwardly catch up with small talk about the weather.

3. The One Who Lives on the Internet

This person could be confused with the Elusive Unicorn, the only difference being you actually see this person from time to time. They are the ones on Facebook who share all the BuzzFeed articles, tweet about every second of their day, Instagram every meal, and most of all, the ones whose catchphrase goes along the lines of “Did you hear about that one celebrity who did that thing that everybody won’t stop talking about?” Despite this person updating you on their life via social media, and also on the lives of other people, it provides you a nice distraction from your school work, and provides you the opportunity to focus on something else other than your own life.

4. The One Who Has It Together (And Unintentionally Rubs Your Nose In It)

Whether this person is graduating a year early, got their dream internship, or got YOUR dream internship, there is always that one person who seemingly has it all together…and unintentionally plasters it on social media for all to see. For awhile, I was envious of those who actually accomplished the task of graduating in four years with a 3.0+ GPA, with a job waiting for them after they graduate. For the longest time, I was constantly comparing to myself to that person, breaking my neck wondering what else I could do to catch up with them. I’m sure many of you do this too, some even disguising that envy with abundant shade throwing – “Oh wow, look who thinks they’re on top of the whole damn world!” It took me awhile to realize that everyone is on their own wavelengths and embarking on their own journeys. Sure this person may have it together now, but that doesn’t mean you never will. In due time, everyone’s future will come together, and everyone will achieve success and happiness. You should never compare your chapter one with someone else’s chapter twenty – especially if you’re on different books.

5. The One Who’s Still Trying to Figure It All Out

I think everyone can relate to this in one way or another. Despite the previous bullet point, I don’t believe anyone ever has it together – some people are just really good at faking it. Whether it’s deciding what internship you want to go for (by the way, the answer is “All of them”), or whether or not you have the same passion for your major you used to, everyone is still trying to pick up the pieces of their lives, trying to forge the right pieces together. My freshman year, I thought I had it all figured out, and I had what I thought was a fool proof plan that would send me on a straight shot into my future. What I didn’t take into consideration is the fact that every so often, life gets in the way, and you have to reconfigure everything. Fast forward four years down the road, and I’m still trying to figure it out – and that’s okay. Just as long as you have people in your life who are there to support you and motivate you, everything will turn out just fine.