Seek new friendships

More than likely—up until the start of your freshman year—you’ve been friends with the same people since elementary school. You grew up together. Sure, you gained and lost a friend or two along the way, but for the most part, you’ve stuck with the same group of friends.

The start of high school is a time when you cling to these friends because they are familiar to you and this big, brand new school is not. For the first few weeks of my freshman year, I did everything with my friends from middle school. I was attached to them at the hip. I was with them everyday at lunch, every passing period and every football game. Having these friends is great because they make the transition process into high school a lot easier.

Although—once you get used to this whole high school thing—do not feel like you have to settle for friends that don’t bring out the best in you. People change and you’ll realize that some of your friends are nowhere near the people you used to know. Their choices and actions make them unrecognizable to you and there’s not much that you can do about it. Friends grow apart, acquire new interests and develop new values and that’s all OK. It means you’re growing up.

Just because you’ve been best friends with someone for years doesn’t mean that you need to devote every ounce of your time to them for the rest of high school. They might have been a great fit for you when you were younger, but you may not see eye-to-eye with them as you get older. By no means should you abandon old friendships for no reason. However, if that friend is not interested in your happiness or does not make you strive to be a better person, then forget it.

Surround yourself with people that have similar passions, that make you laugh and make you want to be a better version of yourself. Getting involved in clubs and/or sports will help you grow close to people who share the same interests as you. Going into high school, I never would’ve guessed that I’d be friends with the people I am now. After joining the newspaper staff, I realized how much I relate to these people and genuinely enjoy being around them. (Well, most of the time that is).

Your high school years are sometimes referred to as the best of your life. That being said, choose your friends carefully. You will make memories with them that you’ll never forget. They are the ones that will help shape who you are as a person for the next four years and even beyond that. As every adult has probably told you, this time of your life flies by. Don’t waste your time on friends that take more from you than they give because ultimately, they are the ones that will make your high school experience memorable.