When most people graduate from high school, they promise their friends that they will be friends forever and they will never lose touch. Some do remain friends. They stay in touch by texting or Skyping every week and making plans to catch up when everyone is home for winter and summer vacations. While those people are very fortunate, others aren’t as lucky. A lot of friendships fail once everyone ventures off to different schools.
The end of any friendship can be devastating and can cause heartbreak. It’s normal to be upset when this happens. You might feel lost without these people. Wanting to text them when something really good or something really bad happens. I get it, I’ve been there. Most people have. If that person is not meant to be in your life, someone else is. It’s okay when high school friendships end. Here are the top four realizations I had that helped me be okay with parting ways with a few people from high school.
1. You are growing up.
Growing up is inevitable. With growing up comes maturity, and maturity happens at different speeds for each individual. Some people mature while they are in high school and others won’t mature until they are in college living basically on their own. Some get to college and they don’t mature. They take advantage of living under no structure and start to rebel. Whether you start to mature or rebel, it’s all a part of growing up.
2. People change.
I personally do not think that I am the same person I was when I was in high school and most people aren’t. This goes back to the maturity, some people start to mature at a more rapid rate after high school. Especially since some people move far from home and don’t see or talk to their parents on a daily basis. In college, you are taking care of yourself; deciding what to eat, when to eat, when to go to sleep, when you wake up, what you wear, and so many other things. Some people join clubs or organizations they would not have in high school. Change is a good thing.
3. You'll meet new people.
One of the main things that will happen in college is meeting new people. You meet new people at freshmen orientation, in your classes, in the dining hall, at sporting events, or out at parties (don’t lie, we all know you’ll go to one at least one). Most people, myself included, get nervous when meeting new people. You never know if that guy in the front row of your philosophy class is going to be your husband or if the girl who sits next to you because she came in late will be your best friend! You never know what could happen, so next time don’t be afraid to say hi. They won’t bite!
4. You'll find new friends.
Once you start to try new things and join new clubs or organizations you’ll start to find people with common interests. After you meet these people and see that you have a lot in common and you want to hang out with these new people, you’ll realize that your friends from high school were great for you then and these new friends are great for you now.
