During middle school many friendships are built and made that seem to last a lifetime, however as time goes on and high school begins many of those friendships are put to the test. School rivalries begin, schedules become much more crowded, and new friendships are built as well causing the old ones to seem either less important or more important. Therefore, can friends stay friends once in different high schools? Depending on the friendship and strength of it, friendships can be held between students in different high schools.

There are various effects different high schools have on friendships, most commonly being students not seeing their friends as much as they used to or would like to. After being in the same school as a long term friend, seeing them everyday six hours a day is normal and without those hours, anytime less than that seems so little. However many friends combat this with meeting up after school, on weekends, and texting constantly. Multiple students state that their conversations with their friends are still natural and the way they used to be, it is just that they do not speak to them as much as they had in the past. Not only is it difficult to meet with each other, but most of the time their schedules do not match meaning there is no time when they are all free. This causes many friends to have to meet up at different times with different groups, yet these friendships still last due to the meetings and time still spent together. Though a major concern is drifting apart many students that attend Esperanza as well as Yorba Linda still stick together as strong as they have in the past.

Timing is a major problem for many students, however they combat this in multiple ways. Some friends partake in multiple after school activities together to insure that they will see each other at least a set amount of times a week, whether it be by sports or clubs in general. Also, whenever students can find the time, they will call one another and text to see what is going on in the other’s life. In response to the idea that schedules will not always match up, Esperanza High School student Marah Kane (9) states, “Of course real friends make time for each other. You both have to make compromises.”  With this mindset, many students stay in touch as well as hold the strong friendships they had forged in middle school. With rivalry schools friendships become much more interesting rather than fall apart since these rivalries bring on conversation topics and times in which many students can meet up together again.  

Though friendships can be tested due to schedules, clubs, and overall busyness, true friendships will withstand different high schools. Depending on how strong the bonds between two friends are, their friendships can still stay strong no matter which schools they attend. However sometimes times may become confusing and tough, true friends will stay strong and together, no matter the school. The truth of the matter is if a friendship is worth staying together for, then they will no matter the struggles because true best friends and friendships will always stay the same under any circumstance.