The Two of Us: Finding My Best Friend at Mannix

Friendship isn’t about who you’ve known the longest – it’s about who came into your life, and never left your side. It’s a million little moments, creating amazing memories together. For Freshers Zara and Sam, taking on a challenge together during this year’s Mannix O-Week has led to them becoming virtually inseparable. Here’s their story.

What feelings and emotions were you experiencing in the days leading up to moving into Mannix?

Zara: In the lead up to moving to Mannix I was beyond excited. The idea of meeting new people and having a fresh start was all I had been looking forward to for months. However I was slightly nervous as I didn’t know anyone coming into College.

Sam: I was extremely excited to move to Mannix but I was also extremely scared to move away from home. I live about 5 and a half hours away from Mannix. I was thrilled at the prospect of meeting new people and having a fresh start but that didn’t mean I wasn’t also scared of saying goodbye to my friends and family back home. Mannix however made me feel more comfortable as I was sure that there would be other people in the same situation as me looking to make new friends.

Tell us the story of how you met…

Zara: Sam and I met on the first night of O-Week, at Glow Function. We were seated together in the East Side Courtyard, anticipating what the Mannix College Student Society had in store for us. Like a lot of conversation during O-Week, ours started off with the big three questions – “what’s your name?”, “where are you from?”, and “what degree are you studying?”. We chatted for a while then parted ways. It wasn’t until the Scavenger Hunt the following day – where we were tasked with buying corn in the middle of the Melbourne CBD – that we reconnected, as Sam was the only one who offered to take on the challenge with me. I knew from that point on we were going to be good friends.

Sam: I have to agree with Zara. She was one of the personalities that stood out to me when we first met. We got along really well and Scavenger Hunt was definitely the start of our journey of becoming inseparable.

What drew you to each other?

Zara: I really like that Sam is an incredibly hard worker. Once she has her mind set to a task, not only does it get finished, it gets done well. I also like that she is very trustworthy and empathetic, and knowing that if I’m having a bad day or just need to get something off my mind, she is always willing to listen and give me a hug.

Sam: Zara is one of the most caring and kind-hearted individuals. She shares a very similar humour to myself but also has the talent of putting a smile on everyone else’s face. I know that she will always be there to talk to and that I can tell her anything. She’s got an amazing eye for fashion and her art and photography skills are through the roof amazing. We are both very different in some respects but very similar in others, I don’t really understand it but it works perfectly for us.

What are some of your favourite things to do together?

Zara: We love just hanging out and chatting in each other’s rooms, listening to music and sharing silly TikTok videos. We also don’t mind a cheeky trip to Kmart or Woolworths for some lollies every once in a while.

Sam: Chatting about absolutely everything is what we usually end up doing. But if we are not talking you’ll probably find us showing each other TikTok’s, singing together in the car on our way to M-City (usually to buy junk food), or dancing together at a Mannix function.

What advice do you have for anyone feeling nervous about leaving home, starting Uni and possibly moving into Mannix?

Zara: The best advice I could give to anyone is to just get involved in College life as much as possible. Go in head-first to every activity that gets thrown at you, whether it’s playing bubble soccer for Sunday sport or speaking at a Formal Dinner. I would also recommend talking to as many people as possible. It’s a great way to make friends and you’ll come to find everyone is nice and willing to get to know you. If you’re also feeling nervous, never be afraid to reach out to a friend, the Resident Advisors,  or members of the Mannix College Student Society – they’re all there to help and I can guarantee you they have been in the exact same position.

Sam: Definitely get involved with the College as much as possible. Mannix is a place where you are going to find so many other people in the same position as you, and if you put yourself out there by playing a game of basketball with your floor, or going to the functions hosted by the Mannix College Student Society, you will find people that you click with. Mannix offers tutoring programs for those of you worried about Uni which in my case have been a lifesaver. Also don’t be afraid if you haven’t made a new best friend after the first day – everything takes time. I called home on my second night because I thought I was the only one without a solid group of friends, and by the end of the next day after getting involved with my floor I had found Zara and a group of people feeling the exact same way. Mannix is a place I can now call my second home and my floor has become my second family.