“By senior year, you will figure out who your real friends are,” is a common statement that almost every senior can relate to. It is a bitter-sweet realization that is inevitable when it comes to growing up. However, events that lead up to this realization are not always so pleasant.

“By senior year, your friends are people who will stick by your side no matter what. The people who are still there at the end of high school are the ones who are your true friends,” said senior Bree Eftimiou.

Freshmen are sometimes oblivious to the fact that they will not stay friends with every single person in their social group by senior year. The fact is: people change and friendships diminish.

“Sometimes, friends have different visions for their future and they end up choosing different decisions that you may not agree on. When I was a freshman I did not think about it that much, but even within a year I have come to realize that we all start having different priorities,” said sophomore Michael Shekhtman.

Drama and rumors will always occur in high school, no matter how hard people try to stay out of it. Rumors spread because of misunderstandings, misinterpretations, or simply just boredom. It’s an unfortunate concept, but it is reality: “my boyfriend or girlfriend cheated on me,” “She talked about me behind my back,” “Did you hear about what she did?”

“So much is said on social media simply because most people are more comfortable talking about it virtually, rather than confronting a person face to face,” said senior Vinka Radich.

Word goes around on and off campus within seconds, thanks to the art of “subtweeting.” There are always ways to avoid being in the middle of the drama. The question is, do students try to prevent themselves from being part of it?

“Everyone has access to all types of social media. You don’t have to be part of the actual drama, but it’s so easy for it to accumulate because people are still able to see it online and continue to talk about it,” said senior Kathleen Perry.

As the social groups get smaller and the faces that people are surrounded with change, teenagers come to a realization that things are not how they used to be.

“We have different interests and realized that we do not have that much in common with the people we used to hang out with. We grew into ourselves and found out who we really are and became more mature,” said Radich.

The end of the high school experience is nearing for seniors, and they are able to look back at the dramatic, funny, and sad moments that happened throughout the years. At the end of senior year, graduates leave knowing who they want to continue their friendships with through college and who they want to cut contact with. Preferences change. It’s natural when it comes to maturing from experiences in high school.

“Now that I am almost finished with high school, I have seen certain people’s true colors. I have a whole different perspective on life and I’ve learned it’s not about the quantity of friends you have, but the quality,” said senior Julianna Seide.