When I think of the University of Michigan, there isn’t much negativity that comes to mind at all. This school means the world and more to me. It could be encompassed within a cloud of smoke at all times, and I would learn to embrace it, because it’s Michigan.

All the time, I hear people talk about how big Michigan is. The school boasts over 40,000 students, and the campus isn’t exactly small. No one person could possibly know all 40,000 others, however people often overlook the fact that it’s surprisingly easy to make a school like this feel small. Many times, people forget that one is allowed to befriend the person who sits next to them in class each day, it’s not weird to introduce yourself and build a relationship with your neighbors, even the people who are put beside you for one day, whether it be a focus group or a study session, the time you spend at a place like this is supposed to be used for relationship building.

Since I’ve been back on campus, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen someone who I know, but I’m not sure how, on my walk to class. And every single time, I’ve smiled and said hi. Even if I’m not sure they remember me (while that risk can definitely end very embarrassingly). Sometimes, if neither of us are in a rush, it’ll spark up a conversation, and I get to catch up with someone for a few minutes who I may not have even seen since freshman year.

There’s a guy who I believe lived in my dorm freshman year. I’ve seen him out on campus probably four times already this year, and if you were to ask either of us how we know each other, I guarantee we would both reply “I have absolutely no idea”. But my point, is that it doesn’t matter how we know each other. That’s actually besides the point.

When someone comes into your life, be it purposeful or by chance, it will likely help you in the long run to hold on to that relationship. I’ve found that when I see people I know out on the diag, or inside of the lecture halls, and I smile and say hi—even if it’s forced—it puts me in a slightly better mood. And this isn’t just the case at Michigan. I try to employ this technique everywhere I go, if I see someone I know, I’ll say hi. You never know, it might brighten their mood, too.