The joys of staying in touch with high school friends

I graduated from high school four years ago, and I still have such fond memories of that time. From cheering for my friends at basketball games to giggling over bubble tea, it all brings a smile to my face. 

While I attended a fairly large high school in Saskatoon, I was in the French immersion program, so we were a tight-knit group. The majority of our classes and schedules were identical. 

I remember waking up at 6:30 a.m. to attend choir before school started. It counted as a sixth class in the semester. You had to be passionate about music to get up even earlier than normal just to sing. Being part of the school choir introduced me to the music community at my high school. Over the next four years, we would create beautiful harmonies together and perform at school concerts, at senior care homes and my personal favourite — carolling to the office staff and students as they arrived at school during the last week of classes before December break. 

University me could never register for a 7:30 a.m. class ever again. 

I remember presenting projects and speeches in front of the class and looking at a sea of encouraging, familiar faces. Now, I rarely stand in front of a classroom, let alone know everyone in it. In fact, in my years of undergrad, I have yet to take a class that has required me to give a presentation in front of my peers. 

My high school teachers knew everyone’s names and could attribute personal characteristics to all their students. Now, I sit in lecture halls with 300 seats, and professors don’t even blink at the steady drop in attendance. Having a teacher know my name is something I never thought I’d miss about high school. 

Above all, my most cherished memories are of my French immersion friends and how driven and hardworking they were. No matter the assignment, project or non-academic adventure, we gave it our all. I recall a group of us leading a year-long project to get a greenhouse at our school. None of us particularly had a green thumb, but we spent months planning, texting, meeting up with teachers and emailing principals to try and make it happen. 

I miss the collective sigh that would come from the class, myself included, after a particular group of guys would present. Their video projects were so over the top that no one ever wanted to go after them. They didn’t need to do that much. They would’ve gotten a decent grade with less work, creativity and time. But striving to do their best and reach new creative heights was something my group of friends deeply valued, regardless of what others were doing or expecting. 

That’s a trait many of them still carry with them. One friend is now a business major and a soccer athlete for the Huskies. Another is pursuing a performing violin degree in Berlin. One is conducting neurology research on hand-eye coordination alongside their studies. Whatever they’re pursuing in their life, they’re giving it their all. 

Some are now married, others are renting their own spaces, and a few have spread their wings to new cities. I’m so grateful to have gone through high school with such kind, passionate and hardworking people. I’m even more grateful to still have them in my life. 

Twice a year, we all meet up for a reunion — I like to call it the Frenchies reunion. I was at an appointment the other day when the receptionist asked what plans I had for the break. I told them it was the fourth year in a row that the Frenchies reunion was happening. They noted how incredible it was that my group of friends still stays in touch all these years later. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized how sweet and special it is to have people in my life today from a completely different period of my life. 

There’s something truly so special about friends that you can pick up right where you left off. We may not text each other every week, but whenever we’re all in town, we go for brunch. After catching up over mouth-watering omelettes, we’ll head to someone’s house to chat more, play cards and end up  spending the whole day together. I never know where the time goes when I am with them! There’s no awkward pause from the months that have passed — just a group of girls reminiscing and “oohing” and “aahing” over the new happenings in our lives.. Our laughter-filled conversations are often interspersed with one of us reminding the others that we are being too loud for a public place.

If you, dear reader, just graduated from high school and are starting university while feeling a little sad about losing that close-knit high school bond, know that you’re not alone. And know that the end of high school doesn’t mean the end of those beautiful relationships. 

Here are a few recommendations I have for staying in touch with your high school friends: 

• Check in regularly. It doesn’t have to be daily or weekly — your friends understand that university is time-consuming. Just be intentional. Don’t send a message to send it. Show you genuinely care. I remember in my first year,  a friend sent me a care package filled with my favourite snacks. Another trio of friends and I set up a regular weekly check-in time for life updates. 
• Have a yearly reunion. If most of your friends are in school, summer and winter breaks are a perfect time. Taking the time to plan a reunion shows that you value being in each other’s lives. Just make sure it’s not always the same person organizing it, they’ll burn out. If you’re not the type A friend, at least make sure to thank the ones who are for their efforts.
• Bonus tip: Make sure one of your friends has a fire pit…not a requirement to staying in touch, but definitely a bonus when choosing a host for reunions. 

While it’s normal to feel nostalgic about high school, I know that I look back with rose-tinted glasses. Know that it’s possible to build equally beautiful bonds and memories at university. 

To my crew of high school friends, I hope in every universe, we find each other.