"Social companions" question

[guardianSJ]

Here's a new one, found on a BI questionnaire that I'm filling out:

"List three social companions in your own age group"

What to do if you don't have anyone in your own age group? It so happens that most of the people I spend leisure time with are either way older or a bit younger than me. What to do??? I can't put "not applicable".

[phantasm]

so you're 30 and spending time with 20 year olds and 40 year olds? No one is near your age at all?

[Roger Dat]

I'd say your "age group" is at least bigger than you think, such as 18-25- 26- 31 etc, gtive the department a call.

[Valor55]

Once you get out of college you aren't grouped by age anymore and your social group will grow. Some younger and some older. They want to know who you hang out with and spend your social time with. Your parent's friends don't count, hence "same age group."

[Doogie]

I have always wondered this and I know this is going to make me sound extremely weird but here goes....What if you actually have NO friends. I mean not one person you can say that I went to a movie with yesterday or a ballgame with last week? I am asking this because I moved around alot during my HS yrs and never really made the type of friends you know throughout your life.

When I got out of HS I started working full time with 30 and 40 yr old men and never could relate to them (they had wives and kids and I was only 17/18 yrs old). I only hung out with a few people my age during those 2 or so years. Then I eventually met my wife at 20 (sort of on a blind date.) We pretty much have been inseparable ever since. Married at 21 and still going strong. :D

My question is how badly is this going to effect me when I apply? I am going to college now and hopefully will meet some individuals who have the same goals in life (marriage, morals, kids, just downright being a good person). I know this makes me sound strange, but I was never the "party animal" who drank or smoked or chased women. I just lived my life and in the back of my mind I was always conscious of wanting to be a police officer so who I associated with was always a big deal to me.

P.S. Sorry for the hijack.

[phantasm]

If you (generic sense) as a 20something year old person have NO friends anywhere near your age group at all (age group is subjective, and up to interpretation and argument) or no friends at all, then that points to a possible social psychiatric issue that may disqualify you. Again the previous statement is just my non-proffesional opinion on how it may be viewed by an investigating department.

[So Fla Cop]

As long as you are not 30 and listing 8 year old females......nah forget it.

[Jenna2006]

What if you actually have NO friends. I mean not one person you can say that I went to a movie with yesterday or a ballgame with last week?

Maybe you could broaden your definition of "friends." I don't think you need to have gone to a movie with them yesterday or a ballgame with last week to count them as "social companions"--maybe you and the people you know are so busy that you never have time to do these things anyway. You could probably just list anyone who is "friendly" to you, would give a good recommendation if called, and would not find it weird if they learned that you considered them a "friend". Like co-workers, classmates, and neighbors who make friendly small talk with you during breaks and lunches, or even childhood friends you talk on the phone with once a year. I have many friends from high school and college that I haven't seen for many years and only email or talk with on the phone only once every 1-2 years, but we certainly still consider each other friends.

Or just get a myspace page--you'll soon have hundreds of "friends". :D