Most people are content with having friends the same age as you. I, on the other hand, have always been a mother hen in my friend group. We were raised to hang out with people the same age as us, from playing on the playground to inviting our whole class to our birthday parties in elementary school. In high school, I was a senior when all of my friends were juniors. I have realized that there are some pros and cons to being the oldest of your friend group, so I thought I’d share some with you.

Pro: Your friends look up to you.

I have always found myself looking after my friends, whether that be while we hangout or with personal issues.

Pro: They come to you for advice.

I suppose being one year older makes me somewhat wiser to my friends. Nonetheless, I am more than happy to provide my advice to them- even if it’s not very good.

Pro: You get a new outlook on life.

Being older may make me wiser, but younger people are newer and fresher to the world. I always ask my friends on my fashion choices because I feel they have a more modern sense of style than I do.

Pro: My friends get to brag that they hang out with a more mature and cool friend.

In high school, there was always something about being friends with older people that made you seem cool.

Pro: Helping with school work.

My friends took some of the same classes I did in high school. Most of the assignments are reassigned each year to the new students, so I would help my friends with them since I already knew how to do it.

Con: You don't quite fit in when your class meets.

I had maybe two or three friends in my class that I felt comfortable talking to at graduation practice. I felt very out of place. I even had to skip out on senior night for band because I was not that close to the people my age. Don't get me wrong, we were still friends, but not as close as I am to my younger friends.

Con: You leave them when you graduate.

Graduation day was the hardest day of my life. I had to say goodbye to my children and best friends.

Moral of the story.

Don’t be friends with seniors because they will graduate and leave you, and it will suck.

Don’t be friends with underclassmen because you will have to leave them, and it will suck.

Don’t be friends with seniors if you’re a senior because they’ll go to a different college than you, and it will suck.