High school is a time for relationships, both old and new, and especially during this time of the year, we like to talk about our romantic relationships. But what about platonic ones? One survey says that 61% of American adults believe having close friends is crucial for a fulfilling life. So are the people we meet in high school friends for life, or are they simply our math class tablemates?

Making friends in high school is certainly different from making friends in elementary school. The environment in high school is different and you aren’t with the same group of kids all the time anymore. But 98% of teenagers say they have at least one close friend. You might find yourself connecting with new people in a way that you couldn’t in elementary school, or you might just grow close to someone because you see them often. Though you are also probably less likely to just walk up to someone and ask to be their friend.

Senior Kaylen Ng agrees with this sentiment. “You can’t really walk up to someone and be like “we’re friends now!”

Evan Assmus, senior, also finds making friends in high school to be different because his class in elementary school was so small. 

“I could contact all of [my elementary school friends] if I wanted, but now I don’t necessarily wanna be friends with everyone,” he says. 

Similarly to Kaylen, he keeps in touch with some old classmates but mostly new ones. Both say they are closer with their high school friends because they see them every day. 

For this same reason, junior Ellen Chen, finds making friends about the same, as you still talk with and grow closer to the people you sit with in class. One study says that seating assignments may even directly influence friendships.  However, Ellen also believes that there’s a difference between people you’ve been friends with since elementary school and people you’ve met in high school. While she has made some very close friends in high school, she believes that sharing a connection from elementary school makes for a very different relationship. 

“We know each other’s lives in a way that others won’t ever understand,” she says.

Friendships can be influenced by many things, and we might find some relationships easier to keep up than others. Whether you share a deep connection with an old friend or made a new best friend recently, you should appreciate your friendships as well as romantic relationships this Valentine’s Day. Love is cool, but so is the power of friendship.