Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship is a podcast about the friendships that shape our lives and sometimes confuse us. Host Nina Badzin talks honestly with writers, therapists, creatives, and real people about making friends as adults, losing them, repairing them, and letting them change. Nina is a thoughtful, warm, and refreshingly real voice in the podcast space. Each episode includes nuance, humor, and a direct approach to the hard stuff of friendship we don’t always say out loud. If you’ve ever wondered “Is this normal?” about a friendship, you’re in the right place.
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Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship is a podcast about the friendships that shape our lives and sometimes confuse us. Host Nina Badzin talks honestly with writers, therapists, creatives, and real people about making friends as adults, losing them, repairing them, and letting them change. Nina is a thoughtful, warm, and refreshingly real voice in the podcast space. Each episode includes nuance, humor, and a direct approach to the hard stuff of friendship we don’t always say out loud. If you’ve ever wondered “Is this normal?” about a friendship, you’re in the right place.
#177 - The Myth of Instant College Friends (with Dr. Janice McCabe)
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship
33 minutes
2 weeks ago
#177 - The Myth of Instant College Friends (with Dr. Janice McCabe)
College is supposed to be the easiest place to make friends—so why do so many students feel lonely, left out, or like they’ve already missed their chance?
In this episode, I talk with Dartmouth Professor of sociology, Dr. Janice McCabe, about why college friendships aren’t nearly as automatic as we’ve been led to believe. We explore the idea of “friendship markets,” how campus structure shapes who becomes friends, and why timing, proximity, and opportunity matter just as much as personality.
This conversation is for parents worried about a kid who came home unhappy, for students who didn’t click with their dorm or first group, and for anyone who’s ever wondered why friendship feels harder than it’s supposed to. If college hasn’t gone the way you hoped socially, this episode offers clarity, relief, and a reminder that you didn’t miss your chance.
This week’s sponsor is one of my favorite authors, Kristin Nilsen, with her latest novel THE SCOTT FENWICK DIARES. Find links to buy the book and learn more here: https://kristinnilsenbooks.com/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship is a podcast about the friendships that shape our lives and sometimes confuse us. Host Nina Badzin talks honestly with writers, therapists, creatives, and real people about making friends as adults, losing them, repairing them, and letting them change. Nina is a thoughtful, warm, and refreshingly real voice in the podcast space. Each episode includes nuance, humor, and a direct approach to the hard stuff of friendship we don’t always say out loud. If you’ve ever wondered “Is this normal?” about a friendship, you’re in the right place.
