{shortcode-0c14f78ab25e6eb7820be3d64bcab557757bb9a8}Now that another year is coming to an end, we will soon say goodbye to crying over finals and hello to summer adventures. Unfortunately, finals aren’t the only thing we’ll be saying goodbye to. Whether its new friends that you’ve just made this semester, friends that have been by your side throughout Harvard, or a significant other you don’t want to part with, there’s no way of evading the inescapable summer separation. Here are some tips on how to minimize your sadness over leaving your loved ones, because after finals season, you should really give your poor tear ducts a break.

Slip Them Your Business Card

In true Harvard networking style, remind your friend to keep in touch via this short and classy method. Efficiently pass out your phone number, email, and address to let your friend know that there are no limits when it comes to contacting you. Yes, social media exists, but why slide into their DMs when you can roll up to their house with a sleeping bag? (Caution: please have extreme confidence in your friendship before taking this step). Pro tip: provide extra business cards so they can’t claim to have lost your contact info when you confront them about not hearing from them.

Be Cheesy

Make sure your friend doesn’t forget you by writing an essay of why your friendship means the world to you or by making a cute montage of memories that you’ve shared. This may evoke some tears, but at the end of the day, distance means nothing when you have friends who would willingly write you an essay when they barely finished their final papers.

Don’t...

Crawl into their suitcase, grab their legs, and refuse to let go. Who says you have to say goodbye? Do you really think TSA or a restraining order can stop you from evading goodbye? Okay, yeah, they probably can. Maybe opt for buying plane tickets to visit them or establishing FaceTiming schedules instead.

Saying goodbye never gets easier. But hey, if you could get into Harvard, you can spend some time without your friends/significant others. And honestly, at the end of the day, if none of these tips work out, just give into the temptation to ugly cry. We won’t judge you.