Friends don’t always have the same plans after high school and may end up going different ways in life.
After graduation, relationships can change and require work to stay connected. It’s possible for friendships to feel more distant. With the end of the school year approaching, seniors are finishing their last few months at Woodside and facing the reality of leaving the school behind.
“It’s definitely going to be at first difficult not being able to see the people you’ve built friendships with over the past few years,” senior Jessica Lin said. “I mean, you see your friends every single day regardless of having classes or not.”
One way to stay connected with people who aren’t close by is through the internet. Social media platforms allow for people to stay up to date with the events in friends’ lives.
“I also think that social media is a great way to remind you of who you care about,” Lin said. “There are always things I see online that [make me] think of someone and then send it to them. When I was out with a concussion the first time, I had friends send me jokes and videos that they thought I would like and that made me so happy.”
English 1 teacher and WHS alumna Megan Wride was the only student in her graduating class to go to Arizona State University.
“I learned to set boundaries and prioritize time because no matter how close the friendship is, respecting each other’s time and growth in college is very important,” Wride said. “But also creating the time to set up a Facetime, Zoom, and Skype, to catch up, and talk about college and our different experiences.”
PE Dance teacher and WHS alumna Leslie Pedrin went to Foothill College and San Jose State University without her close friends.
“Whenever [our friend group] came home we always hung out,” Pedrin said. “We all stayed close because we had gone to Mt. Carmel [High School] together.”
Lin has found that finding time to reach out to long-distance friends can keep the friendship strong and healthy, even if there isn’t constant communication.
“One of my best friends goes to school on the East Coast and I rarely get to see her, however, we Snap each other each day ranging from fit checks to long rants about how our day went,” Lin said. “I carve out a small chunk of my time to listen to her updates and it makes me feel close to her even though we are on opposite coasts. It’s a way we know that we always have each other’s backs and we are always there for each other. I hope that I can emulate that type of energy with the rest of the connections I have.”
According to Lin, it’s important to build good relationships with people while still in high school.
“High school is the time to find who you are, it’s a time that you need the most support, and the best way is to have an amazing support group,” Lin said. “ I really like the saying that strangers are just friends you haven’t made because it’s so true. The best way to maintain any relationship is for both to put in the effort and make time for each other. Communicate where you are at and things will fall into place.”
Experiences will differ from person to person, and there is no right or wrong way to manage relationships after high school.
“I think my best advice is don’t think the status quo is what your experience is going to be,” Wride said. “You’re either told that it’s just high school, you won’t have these friendships, or on the flip side, these will be your best friends for the rest of your life. Ultimately, you are in control of who you communicate with, how you prioritize your time, and creating the space for yourself to grow.”
