Are you thinking about scheduling a high school reunion? Perhaps you have been invited to one and are unsure whether now is the best time to go. Either way, high school reunions can be great fun and a chance to talk to people you haven’t seen in a very long time.
Scheduling a High School Reunion
Scheduling a high school reunion takes a little work. You have to track down everyone from your old high school and send out invites. That’s not even mentioning picking a venue, theme, and decorating the place! To make it easier, use an online yearbook like Classmates. There, you can find your high school and view all your classmates’ photos, names, and details. It’s best to have as many people invited as possible, after all.
So, when is it best to schedule one?
After Five Years
Five years on from high school is when people have mostly finished university and are in the burgeoning stages of their careers. Enough time has passed for people to have interesting things to talk about, but not so much that people won’t be able to recognize one another. In fact, it can even feel pretty soon! At the same time, it might be easier to get everyone together, as not enough time will have passed to lose track of many people.
After Ten Years
A tenth-year high school reunion is very common. At this stage, most people are around 28 years old and are in the swing of adulthood, while still having plenty of their youth. At these high school reunions, you’ll still have plenty of energy and excitement while also having more maturity than you did back in your school days.
After Twenty-Five Years
Twenty-five years is a great milestone after graduating from high school. At this stage, most people will be in their early 40s, which means they will likely be completely different people compared to who they were in high school! In fact, you might even find it hard to recognize some individuals.
This is a great time to schedule a reunion, as so much will have happened in people’s lives. People will be sharing interesting stories, and likely photos of their kids/dogs/adventures around the world! Plus, as everyone will be much older, there will likely be a more mature, casual vibe to the get-together, with potential old high-school rivalries dissipating. On top of that, you’ll find that everyone has sought out their own path in life. No two paths are the same, and you’ll meet people who prioritize different things, giving you a new perspective on what life is and what it can mean to different people.
After Fifty Years
This is the ultimate high school reunion. It’s a huge milestone. After fifty years, people will be in their late 60s. They’ve passed through early adulthood, and many will have even completed their careers and retired altogether. This type of reunion is often bittersweet, with plenty of nostalgia, surprise, and perhaps even some sadness, as there will be a higher chance that some of your classmates will have passed away in the fifty years between graduation and now. At this stage, everyone in the room will likely be more accepting and comfortable in who they are as people. As such, the conversations are likely to be extremely personal and interesting.
So, Which is Best?
It’s hard to say when the best time for a high school reunion is, as each has its benefits. Five years may feel too short, so it might be worth waiting at least ten years to let everyone embrace adult life before reconnecting. The ones later in life can be particularly rewarding and sometimes bittersweet. Often, high school reunions will occur multiple times, so it’s worth going to all of them (if you are so inclined) as they will help you reconnect with people.
