“Let’s make a group chat and discuss it there”
— Every student ever
If someone unlocked your phone right now and opened your messages, they wouldn’t need a personality test to figure you out.
Your group chats already tell the whole story.
One is named after a class code you don’t recognize anymore. Another hasn’t been active since someone sent “Happy New Year!” six months ago. One has 843 unread messages because your friends insist on having full-blown debates about ‘which meme had the most impact’ at 2 a.m. There’s a group project chat where only two people have ever spoken, and somehow you’re one of them.
Group chats have quietly become the scrapbook of student life. They’re where plans are made, memes are shared, deadlines are remembered, birthdays are celebrated, and occasionally, where absolutely nothing gets accomplished.
So, what does your group chat collection look like?
The “what’s due?” group chat
Every semester starts with someone bravely creating a class group chat.
Its original purpose? Academic collaboration.
Its actual purpose? Panic.
“Wait… was the quiz today?”
“What room are we in again?”
“What is the prof even talking about? Can someone send the slides?”
Within two weeks, someone accidentally sends a message meant for another chat. By midterms, the group has become an unofficial customer service line for the entire class.
Ironically, nobody actually wants to be the person asking questions.
Everyone waits.
Then, exactly three minutes before class starts, someone finally types the message everyone was thinking.
“Are we submitting this today?”
They become the hero.
The “Friends 4EVAAA”
Every friend group has one.
It has an unnecessarily dramatic name, at least three emojis and a profile picture that was chosen without consulting anyone.
This chat contains everything.
Voice notes that should have been phone calls.
Photos from random Tuesday coffee runs.
Inside jokes, made up stickers and GIFs that would make absolutely no sense to anyone else.
Arguments about where to eat that somehow last longer than the actual meal.
Someone saying “I’m five minutes away” while they’re still at home.
It’s less of a conversation and more of a digital diary.You could scroll back three years and watch friendships grow in real time.
The group project chat
The group chat that no one likes, yet you’ve probably been part of hundreds at this point. Perhaps the most fascinating type of group chats.
They always begin optimistically, “Hey all, just sent all the links to kickstart the project. Lmk what you think :))”
Everyone reacts with a thumbs-up. Radio silence from there.
The 24 hours before the deadline…it’s like the silence before the storm.
“Hey guys, just checking in.”
One person suddenly becomes project manager.
One disappears entirely.
One contributes exactly one Canva template.
One says, “Sorry, just seeing this.”
Miraculously, the assignment gets submitted. Nobody speaks ever again.
The birthday planning group
The funniest part about surprise birthday chats?
The birthday person is usually one accidental notification away from finding out. These chats are full of messages like:
“Who’s bringing the cake?”
“Can you do it? I’m busy with PartyCity. I’ll E-transfer you”
“What time are they free?”
“They’re typing.”
Cue immediate panic.
Someone changed the group name to “Camping 2026″ just in case.
The “we should totally hang out” chat
This chat runs entirely on good intentions. Someone sends: “We need to do something this weekend!”
Everyone enthusiastically agrees.
“We absolutely should.”
“I’m down.”
“Send deets!!!!”
“So when?”
…
Silence.
Three weeks later, someone sends another reel. The cycle repeats. The friendship remains strong. The plans remain theoretical. And when it finally does work out.
“Yay! We made it out of the group chat, we should do this again.”
Oh well…
The family chat
A place where your aunt sends motivational quotes every morning.
Your cousin accidentally reacts with a laughing emoji to serious news.
Someone asks how school is going.
Your parents remind everyone about dinner.
And somehow, every holiday results in exactly 247 unread messages.
At this point, opening the chat feels like reading an entire novel.
Time for one more group chat
As students, campus life is full of opportunities to meet new people, but taking the first step can feel intimidating.
The easiest friendships often begin with something simple:
“Hey, I’ll make a group chat.”
Whether it’s for a study group, your favourite hobby, sports, movie nights or finding people who also love late-night bubble tea runs, one notification can turn into a real community.
Better yet, why not make it official?
Starting or joining a student club gives you a reason to connect with people beyond your classes. Suddenly, the group chat is all about planning fun events, sharing all your interests, celebrating wins and creating memories that last long after graduation.
So… what’s your group chat looking like these days?
Feature photo courtesy of Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
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