by BRIANNA SICILIANO Social Media Coordinator
In high school, you are focusing on your grades, studying for that major test you have to take tomorrow, and preparing for standardized tests while keeping friendships loyal and alive. Socializing with friends throughout the school day gives your brain a break and brings fun into everyday conversations.
Friendships, no matter what stage of life you are in, can be wonderful or terrible. There are some people in this world who were designed to be best friends with you, and there are others who were designed to be your worst enemy.
Because you are so busy with your schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and preparing for your future, it can be challenging to realize who you can trust and who you cannot.
“My grandma is 65 and it seems like she is always getting together with friends for lunch. At her age, she knows by now which friends are genuine friends, and which are ‘pool’ friends as she likes to call them. ‘Pool friends’ are friends that you greet with a warm smile when you see them, but you would not have deep conversations with them. You would not tell them about your life’s details. I think it is important to categorize your friends as real friends or ‘pool’ friends, so that you know who you can trust and who you cannot trust, saving yourself from backstabbing and heartaches in the future,” said an anonymous senior.
So how do you know if your friend can be deemed a real, trustworthy friend or a fake, future-backstabbing friend? By asking yourself these questions:
1. Does this friend help me overcome my problems and find happiness, or does he/she add on to my misery and depressing feelings?
2. Does this friend take up all of my energy?
3. Is this friendship all about my friend? Does this friend ever seem to care about my well-being and my problems?
4. Does this friend have a life that is filled with drama? Am I tired of listening to his/her rant on and on about his/her problems? Especially because this friend never seems to let me rant about my issues?
5. Does this friend always want my help and advice, but never returns the favor?
6. If we are with other people, will this friend leave me to talk to/hang out with other friends of his/hers?
By figuring out the answers to each of the above questions, you should categorize your friend as either worthy or unworthy of your friendship. Do not allow someone who makes you feel like their own personal Dr. Phil remain in your life.
Friendships are a two-way relationship; you both deserve to get something out of it. It is not fair for you to be the only one trying to make this friendship work.
“It might not be easy to move on with your life without having your ‘friend’ to talk to, but soon enough you will realize that you should not waste your energy on people who do not care about you and your well-being. True friends count, and terrible friends are the people you want to kiss goodbye,” said senior Alannah Nasser.
Years from now, friendships in high school will be something you laugh about. You might never talk to your ‘friends’ ever again once high school ends, so make sure you choose your friends wisely. Only allow the people who will make you positive in your life over these short years. In the future, you will thank yourself. You will not want to cry over a backstabbing friend when your friendship eventually ends.
So, after asking yourself these questions, do you have any ‘friends’ you need to rid from your life? I know I do!