As I am going into my sophomore year of college, I have to say that staying close with some of your best friends from high school is a necessity. And it is not a bad thing to hang out with them while in college. When you graduate high school from a small town, you will most likely still run into 75 percent of your classmates later on. Yes, it is recommended and is really good to meet new people and make new friends in college but it is very important to keep your old friends close. If you're like me and grew up in a small town, you knew everyone in your graduating class. I graduated with a class of about 70 people, and that was a big class for my school. When I started to meet people in college and they told me their graduating class was over 200 people, I couldn't believe it. But I wouldn't change a thing. Going to a small-town, private high school has its perks. The people you graduated with are the kids you grew up with. You've known each other for years, you know each other's stories, secrets and most importantly, you share countless memories.

When you start college, you have the opportunity to meet so many new people. You can do this through Greek life, clubs and classes. But you should always stay close with your high school friends. In my first first year of college, I met so many new friends through Greek life and some from classes. I went into LSU with nine friends from high school. Some joined Greek life, some didn't. I was the only person from my high school to choose Phi Mu. But that's OK because now I have friends down the row. And even though I have classes with new people and go to parties with new people, I still hang out with my high school friends about twice a week. They know you better, and they've known you longer. Yes, I love all of my new friends but there is something about hanging out with the friends you've been with forever. Honestly, I don't think I could have made it through my first year at this huge campus without them. We ran to each other when we were stressed, sad, ready to party, needed a late night snack or just needed a break. You can't really talk about funny high school memories with new people, it's just not the same. I can't tell you how many nights we laughed until there were tears about hilarious old stories or embarrassing pictures and Facebook posts from freshman year. We did our homework together, watched movies together on rainy days and made new memories.

Now that it's summer, and I'm back home from Baton Rouge, I get to catch up with more friends from home, and it's the best feeling. When you hang out, it's like you never stopped talking. I'm thankful for my small town school, giving me the opportunity to get close with so many people. I hear it every year, and I probably even said it once — around the time of high school graduation everyone is saying "I can't wait to get out of here and get new friends" — yes, there is that handful of people you may not want to see again, but you will miss the others. So stay close with your high school friends, whether you go to the same college or not. Keep in touch because some of them are your truest friends. They will most likely be there for you no matter what, and they helped you become who you are today. Cherish that.