Congrats recent high school graduates! You guys have finally reached the main goal of the past 13 years: your high school graduation! Some of you will be heading off to college, some off to the military or to the workforce. No matter where you are heading in life, I just wanted to give some advice I have found useful and some tips on your high school friendships going into this new journey of life.

Now to you, it's “obvious” that you will remain epically close to every single friend you had in high school. For some this can be true, but I have found that I have only remained close to a handful of my high school friends and have kept a good connection with many others. It is okay if this happens you guys! Graduating high school is the final point of childhood. Once you cross that stage you are officially entering the adult world. Some friends are going to grow closer to you and will go on with you into this new adult life you are entering and some will slowly start growing farther and farther from you. It is nothing you have done, (unless somewhere along the way something bad happened), sometimes you just grow out of certain friendships. When you get to college or wherever you are going in life, at first it’s a little scary. You are starting a new part of your life and may only have a handful of friends. Again, that’s okay. Trust me, the people who truly care about you won’t leave. My best friend and I live 200 miles away from each other during the school year but we always try to make time for each other. And you always can make new friends. At first, it is kind of strange because you will go to class and for the first time in four or more years, there is no one you know. In about 2-3 weeks you will probably make a few friends, but by the end of your first year, you will probably have that tight-knit group of college best friends. You really just have to become involved on campus in different organizations, clubs and/ or sports. You will be able to find people with your values and personality. These friendships sort of just fall in your lap honestly. I met my college best friends through my brother, to be honest, and I don’t know where I would be without them.

I guess what I am trying to say is just don’t be afraid of losing your close high school friends in college. If you truly are close you will always be close. This new journey will bring so many new and interesting people into your life, you just have to stay open to new people and new friends. Most of all, enjoy every moment with your new and old friends, because if these people are good, they will stay with you for life.