Some of you may have already gone through this, and others of you may be getting ready to graduate high school and go to college, so here are three things I wish I had known about high school friendships before I left home for school.

Repeat after me:

1. YOU WILL NOT STAY IN CONTACT WITH EVERY SINGLE FRIEND.

This is a fact I had decided post high school graduation that I would not let happen to me. I was not going to fall into the trap of time and new experiences and distance from all the friends I grew up with and loved. Of course, as older friends had already warned me might happen, I fell out of touch with a couple high school friends. You see, as much as I swore to myself that I was going to actively put time toward keeping up with every friend, I discovered that not only did I not have the time between academics, personal life, and making new friends, but it was also okay to lose friendships because you simply grow out of relationships with time. It’s okay to lose touch with old friends; you’ve all simply moved on with your lives. And maybe this won’t happen to you, and that’s just as okay!

2. You will make new friends that may not be anything like the ones you had in high school.

Obviously people make new friends when they are at college and branch out to get to know people, but I never thought my college friends would have such different qualities and personalities in comparison those I had chosen to hang out with growing up. And that’s totally normal! Your best friend in college will probably push you and challenge you throughout your time at school in ways that none of your friends from back home could have because they know a you that is different from the one your friends from home know. And on a campus where you will likely arrive as a stranger, it’s easy to find activities and groups of people with similar tastes and interests where you can really let your freak flag fly if you want.

3. Going back home on break and meeting up with your friends is awesome.

Finally getting to go home on break or for the holidays means that you will be in the same town as your high school friends for a tiny bit and you’ll all likely try to cram months of stories into a few hours when you’re hanging out. For the first time, a lot of your friends may have left for school and it’s great to hear about how they’ve been surviving as an adult and it also gives you the chance to reminisce on high school adventures and memories that make you feel really old. Take advantage of this time with your friends from home, soon you'll be back to school!