Question

journal prompts: answer the following questions. you must have at least 6 sentences per response.
#1: do you feel like you have true friends (that youve chosen) or friends out of convenience/circumstance. is there a difference? is it possible to have loyal friends in high school? explain.
#2: do you feel like you are making purposeful choices to reach your future goals or do you feel like life is just happening to you? is it possible to reach your dreams/goals in this decade or are there too many circumstances working against young people? explain.
#3: pick a topic (or topics) from the questions above to reflect on. use your own personal experience or other events/examples to explain your thoughts.

Answer:

Response to #1:

I feel fortunate to have a small group of true friends I’ve chosen, alongside a larger circle of friends formed out of convenience or circumstance, and there is a clear, meaningful difference between the two. True friends are the ones I seek out voluntarily, not because we share a class or a neighborhood, but because we connect on core values, laugh at the same silly jokes, and show up for each other even when it’s not easy. Convenience friends, on the other hand, are people I’m friendly with because we’re in the same homeroom or play on the same sports team; we get along fine, but I wouldn’t call them first when I’m heartbroken or facing a big decision. This difference lies in the depth of trust and intentionality: true friendships are built on mutual choice and investment, while convenience friendships are rooted in shared daily spaces rather than deep emotional bonds. As for whether loyal friends exist in high school, I absolutely believe they do—my own best friend and I have supported each other through family struggles, failed exams, and awkward social moments for three years, and I know that loyalty isn’t limited by age. High school is a time of intense growth, and the friends we choose to walk through that chaos with often become some of the most loyal people in our lives, because we’ve seen each other at our most unpolished and still chosen to stay. While it’s true that some high school friendships fade when circumstances change, the ones built on genuine choice and care can stand the test of time, proving that loyalty isn’t exclusive to adulthood.

Response to #2:

Most days, I feel like I’m making purposeful choices to reach my future goals, though there are moments where it feels like life is just happening to me, pushing me off track. I’ve mapped out a plan: I’m taking AP classes to build a strong transcript for college, working a part-time job to save for tuition, and volunteering at a local animal shelter to gain experience for my dream career as a vet. These small, consistent choices make me feel like I’m actively steering my life toward what I want, rather than letting it carry me wherever. That said, there are days when unexpected setbacks hit—like when my car broke down and I missed a volunteer shift, or when a last-minute project meant I couldn’t study for a math test—and I feel powerless, like circumstances are working against me. When it comes to reaching my dreams in this decade, I think it’s absolutely possible, but young people do face unique hurdles that make the path harder. Student loan debt, a competitive job market, and the pressure to “have it all figured out” before we’re even 25 can feel overwhelming, and it’s easy to wonder if the odds are stacked against us. Still, I’ve seen peers overcome these barriers: my cousin worked two jobs while going to community college and now has a stable career in nursing, proving that intentional choices can outweigh external challenges. While circumstances can slow us down, they don’t have to stop us, and staying focused on small, purposeful steps keeps me hopeful that I’ll reach my goals by the end of the decade.

Response to #3:

I want to reflect on the idea of true, chosen friends from high school, because my experience with my best friend Mia has completely shaped my understanding of loyalty in this stage of life. We met in 9th grade biology class, but we didn’t become close until I had a panic attack before our first midterm and she stayed after class to help me breathe through it, even though she had her own study plans. That moment was the start of a friendship built on choice, not just circumstance: we didn’t sit together by default, we sought each other out at lunch, texted each other to check in when one of us was having a bad day, and even planned weekend trips together because we wanted to, not because we had to. Last year, when my parents got divorced, Mia showed up at my house with my favorite ice cream and sat with me for hours without saying a word, which meant more to me than any grand gesture. I’ve seen other friends in my circle drift apart because their friendship was based only on being on the same cheerleading team or living in the same neighborhood, but Mia and I have stayed close because we’ve actively chosen to invest in each other. This experience has taught me that high school can absolutely foster loyal, true friendships—we just have to be willing to look beyond the convenient connections and put in the work to nurture the ones that matter. Mia isn’t just a friend I fell into because of our shared classes; she’s a friend I chose, and that choice has made our bond unshakable, even as we start thinking about colleges in different states.