Jene Thomas – General Assignment Reporter
Best. Friends. Forever…right?
Four years is a long time. It’s a long enough time to meet people, spend time with them and form relationships. Many of us, at one time or another, have met those people who we thought would be in our lives forever. Perhaps they still are.
I’m talking about those friends from high school. They’re the ones who fill your Instagram and Twitter feeds with pictures from their respective colleges while trying to maintain some sort of friendship.
The bonds of friendship only go so far though.
High school was such a simpler time. You ate lunch and went to class with the same people. Some might have even played sports or joined after school clubs together. It wasn’t difficult making plans because everyone saw each other everyday. However, has senior year comes and college acceptance letters are sent out, the harsh comes that those friends may not always be right there.
Sooner or later, groups of friends get divided. Some goes to opposing state schools while some are scattered across the country. This is where things get a little more complicated. Those lunch buddies are miles away from you and can only visit during the holiday breaks, and even those scheduled breaks don’t coincide nationally. It’s going to take more than one text to get everyone to meet up for lunch.
For those who wish to stay close to their high school friends need to remain committed, and that commitment takes effort.
Take advantage of the digital age. Social media has ways of connecting anyone from around the world. Set up a group message with your high school buddies and plan a reunion or just a time to hang out. Everyone is going to have some conflicting schedules to planning ahead may be key.
It’s not planning the activity that’s hard. It’s finding time to get everyone available for the same day. Once you’ve figured that out, it’s smooth sailing.
Reunions don’t always have to be in person. If everyone can’t meet up in the near future, find time to FaceTime or meet up on Skype.
Keep up the communication. Just because your friends from high school aren’t right by your side doesn’t mean they’re unavailable to you. It just means you have to find other ways of communicating. Keep up with them with Twitter and Instagram likes. Continue to text them as if they were down the hall from you. Staying in touch is as easy or as difficult as you make it.
Friends that want to stay together will find a way to do so. However, there are those friends that knew the end was near and if that is you, more power to you.
Parents said that these were the best four years of our lives, but that ambiguous statement could be said for high school or college. For many, college is a time of reinvention and self-discovery. This may mean starting from scratching and leaving high school in the past. You may continue to be friends on social media but in reality, your lives are completely separated.
There are going to be friendships that started off stronger in the first year or two at separate colleges, but inevitiably drift apart. It’s completely natural. You’re around completely different people who you see more frequently and become accustomed to. There is also the sense of maturity and sometimes outgrowing a friendship.
However, that doesn’t go to say that all high school friendships are doomed at the start of the college career. At the end of the day, it’s up to the individuals to determine how important it is for them to stay connected and if the friendship can persevere.
If it can’t, cut your losses. Start anew. C’est la vie.
Photo Credit: Rachel.Adams
