Don’t Hit the 8-Ball

College is a time to experience new things and find new activities. Never would I have thought that some of my most cherished memories from this past semester would be my friends and I in the game room, playing pool for hours. 

The game room is super cool and something I never expected in college. It is filled with games like Apples-to-Apples, Mario Kart, and Twister. I love going there with my friends. We have made the best memories while being twisted around each other in a game of Twister. I have never laughed so hard, yelling at each other to give the next command because our arms and legs were shaking so much. 

One day, we all decided to play pool. Before I came to college, I had never played a game of pool. I was really bad when I started. I’m definitely no professional now, but I can hold my own in a game. A couple of my friends, Olivia and Sarah, are really good and have taught me how to hold the stick, better my hit, and the rules of the game—did you know that for the hit to be legal, you have to have at least one foot on the ground while hitting? Sometimes my friends sit on the table to hit the ball, but that is mostly because we are just too short and can’t reach across the table. 

I’ve really enjoyed playing pool, and my friends have enjoyed watching me improve as a player. College can be stressful with all the work and expectations. Whenever my friends and I feel a bit too stressed or are just in need of a break, we simply text, “Pool?” and meet at the game room. I don’t really know what it is about pool that changes our moods so spectacularly. Maybe it is the environment of the game room or the sense of relief from hitting the balls. Or maybe it is just the atmosphere of the friendships that I have made here that better my mood by simply being around them. 

We even came up with a way to play pool with three people. It is not a very traditional way, but it works all the same. Basically, each player gets five balls, for example numbers 1-5, and they have to hit their opponent’s balls. The player also has to keep track of their own balls to make sure they stay in. If the player loses all of their balls, they are out. However, if another player scratches, they have to put the ball back out from their opponents. It is a really fun game that can get competitive. 

All and all, I really do not know where I would be without my friends. They are my lifesavers. I will always know that I can turn to each and every one of them whenever I am in a time of need.