Having somebody by your side and there for you whenever you need is always a nice feeling of support. Someone who listens to you, hears you out and is there for you when you feel at a loss can be very helpful for high school students. 

However, some friendships also come with a large amount of drama and conflict, which can be very distracting and even academically damaging. 

Junior Kaitlyn Albertson sees the importance in having good friends. 

 “Everyone needs to have friends so they can have someone to laugh with, make happy memories with and to support them through tough times,” Albertson said.

Friends who are supportive and enjoyable can have positive outcomes on high school students. They can help prevent lonesomeness, sadness and stress, which can really help a student who is suffering from any of these. 

Some people find themselves in a lot of friendship drama, creating a potential distraction for high schoolers. Drama can strongly affect the way students act or think in class and even outside of school.

According to Research Gate, student conflict can result in a tense environment, weakened cooperation and communication failures — all of which can lead to education quality decrease. 

Freshman Lilly Wolthuis finds friends in classes with her to be distracting sometimes.

“Some friends in class can be a bit distracting, so sometimes I can’t get all of my work done,” Wolthuis said.

Having friends in classes can be very hard for someone who is easily distracted. They could try and make conversation with a struggling student, making it difficult for themselves and others to work. 

On the flip side, having a friend in a class can also be quite beneficial to some students. If someone is having trouble with an assignment but has a friend who is more confident in it, they could easily get some help. If a student is just having a bad day, talking to a friend could help cheer them up, which in the end can improve their academic performance. 

Wolthuis also finds that having friends in class helps her stay focused and upbeat.

“Especially in classes I’m either way ahead or way behind in, I just get so bored, it can be so hard to show up to school,” Wolthuis said. “I like classes that have those friends that make sure you are never bored, that support you emotionally because school can be hard a lot of the time. I like having good friends in class that I can talk to if I can’t get through all my work.” 

Student friendship can be very beneficial, as long as it isn’t abused. Great interaction can result in a big distraction.