Making Friends

Cristina Que

A group of friends eating lunch together in the Broad Run cafeteria

Making friends in high school is never easy, especially in freshman year. The key to it might be simpler than you think. Not everyone’s experience is the same, and some will not have a difficult time. However, some are bound to have a harder time.This article is the perfect source for these people, containing advice from local students at Broad Run High School.

When moving to a new school, it can be difficult to assess who you can connect with. Luckily, there are many ways to face the challenge and many resources you can utilize. One thing that brings many people together are clubs and sports. For example, freshman Aradhana Parthasaradhy stated “[NAHS] is a social activity that I made a lot of friends with”, while junior Lauren Roberts has said that “I do sports. For me, track and field, and so I met a lot of people there and it’s just a really fun environment and so you get to see people everyday and slowly become closer with them.”

An important thing to keep in mind when approaching people is your attitude. As junior Maddie Korin emphasizes when she says,  “I would say just be nice and dont be rude to them”, which is always a good first step in the process of building meaningful relationships. Having more friends is always a bonus, especially since Broad Run students typically have four classes a day. Roberts says that “It’s nice to have a support system of people you trust and that you can go to”. Building up not one, but multiple connections over your years of high school is important so you don’t “get lonely and cry yourself to sleep every night”, as Korin says.

A lot of people don’t believe that their friendships in high school will result in anything afterward. But Korin advises “I think as long as you keep in touch and stay [in contact], people stay friends.” If that’s something you’re worried about and that fear is interfering with your ability to make friends, only you and that friend can determine how long your relationship lasts. It’s never too late to approach someone you have a lot in common with, though as time goes on people may become more reserved into their previously formed cliques or friend groups. It is better to start forming relationships earlier on, but creating new ones later in school is not unheard of and nothing to be ashamed of. Who knows, you may just find a lifelong friend.