Cars swarm the parking lots as the beginning of the school day approaches. A senior pulls up to the school with his brother as their typical music blares. Students crowd the halls as a girl catches the eye of her sister amid the masses, greeting her with a smile and a wave. Later in the day, a sophomore sits down next to her freshman sister at lunch. Such is the life of those who attend school with their siblings.
For most siblings, the only difference between home life and school life together is the amount of interaction and the level of comfort during those interactions. Siblings are less likely to be animated at school where a more reserved attitude is called for.
“At school we don’t see each other as much [as at home],” sophomore Annie Barr said. “I guess it’s more formal because it’s school and we can’t be as crazy as we are at home.”
Regardless, for most siblings that attend high school together, being around each other more than in the past causes a closer relationship. Whether it’s sitting together at lunch, hanging out with mutual friends, or jamming to music in the car on the way to school, opportunities to bond are more present than before.
“I think [being in high school together] has brought us closer, because we get to spend time together and just get to know each other,” senior Austin Walker said. “[The best part of going to highschool together is] knowing no matter what, you have a friend.”
Some challenges of going to school together may include too much time spent together or a lack of space. Practical advantages, however, include only needing one vehicle to get to school as well as having a free tutor for younger brothers and sisters.
“Cassidy doesn’t have any of my [current] teachers so it doesn’t affect her really,” junior Colby O’Connor said. “I can help her with homework though if she needs it.”
Attending school together provides a means for learning about another aspect of a sibling’s life and relating to each other through that. It removes the disconnect formed from an unfamiliarity of friends, classes, organizations, or even situations students commonly find themselves in.
“[High school] wouldn’t be as fun,” freshman Hope Nelms said. “ You can always talk about things together and go through things together, but if you’re not in the same school then you can’t do that. — freshman Hope Nelms
No matter the extent of interaction between siblings at school, the comfort of having at least one person to rely on is a common theme among family members at school.
“I think that you understand your sibling better,” freshman Grace Barr said. “You understand how they feel more because you’re sort of in the same situation. I think we’ve gotten closer, and I feel like I wouldn’t have known a lot more about her if we hadn’t been at the same school.”
