Our lives wouldn’t be the same without our friends. They share our ups and downs and know us better than anyone else, and this is especially true for our old college friends. However, after our college years are over, many of us lose touch with our old friends.
There are few things we look forward to quite like finding an old friend from college on the Internet. A combination of specialized services, people finders, and social networks can be effective for anyone who wants to find people online. Here are the best options to help you become reunited in no time.
People Finders
People finders can be used to track down an old classmate from college. They have a search bar, where you enter any information you recall about them, but you will need their first and last name and city or state where they live, at the very least. The site will retrieve current information about your old friend, including their email, phone number, information about relatives, and maybe even an address.
Once you have their contact details, you can attempt to get in touch with them, but you should be careful. If you call a number you got from the people finder, it is important to be polite and introduce yourself first. You don’t want to risk making someone feel uncomfortable. Moreover, it is important to consider that information from people’s search sites isn’t always reliable and someone other than your friend might pick up or be reached at that number or email.
The professional social network LinkedIn is a great option because members list previous and current schools on their user profiles. You can start your search on LinkedIn by looking up the name of the college you went to. Since this platform is based on networks, you’ll be linked to former classmates automatically. Few alumni networks offer as many options as LinkedIn. You can search not only by the name of your college but also by location or job position. Of course, you can search by their name, too. Moreover, you can email other members and create, view, and edit your profile and add people to your network. The more contacts you add, the more likely you are to find your old friend.
Originally, this medium was created to help reconnect high school and college buddies. You can join one or more school networks, view member profiles, and more. What’s more, you might find your friend in an alumni network.
Grad Finder and Alumni Online are two sites that can also help you find an old college friend, albeit with far more limited databases.
Reunion
Reunion is an alumni network, which you can search for old college friends, lost relatives, and former coworkers. Members number approximately 30 million. You can create a profile and view other profiles, post and view pictures, create and read blogs, look at newsfeeds, and search for other members. All of these services are free. If you want to message a user, get their personal information, and plan a meetup, you must sign up for paid membership.
Things to Remember
Before you get in touch with someone, it is important to consider whether you had a real connection. If your friendship was not truly meaningful, the reconnection won’t be either. We often feel nostalgic about the past, especially if our lives have changed a lot since then. If your connection was based on cramming for exams and partying in their wake, you might run out of things to talk about rather quickly. There’s no harm in trying to contact them; just don’t expect to become best friends again, at least not immediately.
If you were very close with your old friend, they’ll be more likely to want to reunite, too. What’s more, the foundation of your friendship will be far more solid.
Our college years are often followed by major life changes. If your old friend has changed, don’t be surprised. Maybe they’ve had children, started their own business, or are busy doing something else. Your own priorities, preferences, and interests may have changed as well.