As for my five friends back home, one of them has finished her degree and is working at a radio station in a small town near Toronto, I saw her last Christmas, and at 2004-5 New Year's, and in the summer of 2004 since leaving. One of my friends will be finishing her degree this year and I think she plans on doing a year of Bible college next year. She doesn't communicate much with the other 4, but she does communicate with two or three other people who I knew. I've seen her last summer, and the summer before since leaving.
One of my friends is at a university in my hometown doing a similar degree to what I'm doing. I think she'll be done next year (I'm going to take another two years because I'm also an athlete). I've seen her last Christmas, last summer, 2004-5 New Year's, and summer 2004 since leaving. Two of my friends go to the same university and are in the same program, but not the same classes. They've been meeting each other once a week for lunch. I've seen one of them last Christmas, last summer, 2004-5 New Year's and summer 2004, and the other one at the same times plus once in March of 2004.
So, ya, I don't see them much, and our infrequent emails that used to be about 3 months apart have grown to be about every time I come home (Christmas and summer). We're not as close as we used to be, but it is a lot of fun to catch up and to see each other when we are in the same city at the same time.
My sister, who graduated last year, is still in contact with her best friend. Her best friend went to the same elementary school as she did, but they went to different high schools. If my sister had decided to stay home for university, they'd be in the same program together and probably the same classes (since it is a small program). But she decided to go somewhere else for various reasons. Her best friend and her will probably remain best friends for a long time, despite their distance, because they've already had 4 years apart.
But yeah, if you're close enough with a person, you're gonna stay friends with them. The key is to keep in touch through AIM or Facebook or phone or something...and really it's not hard to keep in touch. When you guys get home for break, hang out! It's pretty easy.
I found that most of the relationships I had with people then were very shallow and fake, it gets better in college.
I would agree for some friendships but like i said before I have some really, incredibly good friends that I am still in daily contact with in spite of being gone for over two years and having a 2,000 mile distance between us. I haven't made nearly as good of friends since I have been away but then again, my friendships I held onto from high school were people I had been friends with for anywhere from 4 to 14 years before I left home. It really depends on you you are friends with and how much they mean to you whether or not they will last. You definately can make lasting, quality friendships before college though.