Thanks to Classmates.com for sponsoring this post. All opinions are, as always, 100% mine.
When Classmates.com invited me to test out the site and write a sponsored post about my experience, I immediately agreed. After all, I was curious to see who I remembered and what had happened in the, gulp, 40 YEARS since I graduated.
Sure enough, the first thing I noticed when I logged on was that the Class of 1976 has a reunion scheduled for November. I have never attended one of my high school reunions before – camp, yes; school, no – but now that some of these people feel familiar to me again and I remember how many of them I cared deeply about, I’m actually considering it.
In fact, I started browsing our yearbook online and got caught up in so many memories of old friends who I haven’t spoken to in years.
There was my friend, Laura, who lived down the street from me. I remember riding my bike back from her house one day and a bird pooping on my lap. There was my friend, Alexander, who, strangely enough, I remember most fondly from second grade when we used to do dictionary work together.
Why these are the things I remember does concern me a little, but I had a blast looking at names and photos from the past.
I searched for my friends, Andy and Stewy, who I spent most of my time with, but neither of them were listed. I looked for my friend, Joy, who was missing, too, and who I’d like to apologize to because I think I was a bit of a jerk to her before heading off to college. And I tried to find my friend, Gaby, who did a magazine internship I’ve always coveted and who I’d love to catch up with to see if she’s still writing.
I check the site for them every time I get an email saying new members have joined our Class of 1976 group.
Out of the 1100 students in our graduating class – yes, we had a huge class – about a third of them were on the site. I left messages for my friends, Elise and Margery, and I hope to hear back from them.
I have to admit that every time I receive a Classmates.com email saying, “Your name rung a bell. You’ve received profile visits” or “OMG! See who just joined!” I head over to check it out.
Apparently, I’m not the only one who enjoys revisiting their high school years. Last year alone, over five million members were invited to their high school reunion, thanks to the convenience of the site.
As the first social network, Classmates.com has been bringing high school alumni together since 1995, and I can see why it’s so popular. It’s such an easy way to reconnect.
Classmates.com has the largest collection of online yearbooks – more than 300,000 – so you don’t have to go searching through old boxes in the garage to find yours.
It’s free to sign up to view yearbooks and create reunion events. Upgrading to a paid membership gives you even more ways to connect with your old friends.
Because of Classmates.com, I was inspired to dig up my actual yearbook. Looking at all the pages of activities made me wonder what I might have done differently – like writing for the school paper and working on the yearbook instead of spending so much time with Andy and Stewy! – and it made me think about how those formative years turned me into the person I am today.
And, after reading the messages my old friends and teachers had written to me, it definitely made me want to reconnect with all the people who actually considered me sweet 🙂
Holy cow! You did have a HUGE class! I graduated with just 59 people in my class and everyone knew everyone intimately. lol I do love the idea of classmates.com and reconnecting with your past though!
Wow this is really cool. I may actually look into it and see who I would remember, etc. It’s been almost 13 years for me gosh darn is that awhile it seems like yesterday! I miss high school!
I loved my days in high school and joined when I was in charge of our 10 year reunion ( I was VP of our senior class) It was a lot of fun! How great for you to look up your friends now. I hope you find everyone you want to talk to. BTW I thought we were the same age – I graduated 1977!
How funny! Probably because of my January birthday – I was always the youngest in my class. Were you always the oldest in yours?
Oh wow! Your class at school was huge! This sounds like a great website.
Oh my gosh, I would love to dig out my old yearbooks! Thanks to FB, it’s been easy to keep up with people from high school, but I love reminiscing about the good ol’ days before all the social media craziness!
Id totally forgotten about that website!!!
And Im heading home for a long weekend soon too.
hmmmmmm 🙂
Yes, you had a HUGE class! We had 82 graduates in 1982 (but we lost a classmate months before graduation so I would gladly settle for 83 graduates and lack of matchy-matchiness. Really fun living your school memories with you!
Feeling a little nostalgic today thinking of when I finished school. I know it is that time of the year that stirs up all those old feelings.
It’s a great idea – I haven’t been to any of my school reunions. I still keep in contact with several friends from high school and that is enough for me. Facebook has been a godsend in that area.
What a great way to connect with friends from the past. I have never attended a reunion either. 23 years here. Yikes!
Living in a small town I see many people I went to school with. That being said, I did join Classmates.com because it was fun and I was surprised about some of my classmates.
I think Classmates has suffered due to social media connections, but it really is a great one stop to find all that historical stuff. The stuff we remember so well!
This sounds like a great tool for those that want to connect with classmates again. Mostly I have zero interest in those connections but a few might be worth looking into. 🙂
Once a scribe, always a scribe. Fascinating site. I’ll have to check it out.
Ha ha! I don’t even remember what Scribe was!!
Tried Classmates for years. But, alas, no one else in my class was interested. 🙁
This is such a neat review! I haven’t seen many bloggers willing to review online resources, so this gave a great insight
This is awesome! Unfortunately those from my graduating class are not as active on there.
I love my high school friends! My 45th high school reunion is this weekend — yes, I’m ancient — and my class was almost as big as yours (900). My class has used Classmates.com and it has helped us stay connected.
It looks like a great website. I added a class reunion once and really enjoyed meeting my classmates after not seeing them for years.
I’m a member of the Class of 1976 too – I remember all year it was the Bi-Centennial year and everything had that theme. I also remember being on Classmates.com before Facebook. It’s nice to be reminded of the site.
My 40th is coming up! Next year!
High school reunions are always fraught with mixed emotions. On one hand, its nice to reconnect. On the other, who are these strangers? I’m usually glad I went and happy to get back home!
It would be sort of interesting so see what people are up to. I attended a high school reunion years ago. Some people looked the same, and others had changed a lot!!
Isn’t it amazing to think of all the time that has passed? I went to my very first high school reunion – with great trepidation – three years ago and I was so glad I did!
It’s always fun to find all your long lost friends. It’s been 45 years since I graduated. Sheesh.
I used Classmates MANY years ago when they first came on the scene and I planned a high school reunion. I’ve wondered a few times since then how Classmates is doing since the Facebook boom. Sounds like a more kind and friendly spot to connect with those you really want to get in touch with. Thanks for the Classmates update!
What a great resource for finding people and catching up. I have to admit that I’m one of those people who graduated and never looked back. This would be helpful for those planning a reunion or just to reminisce though!
Before Facebook, I visited classmates.com regularly. It was nice to reconnect with friends from high school.
Your post made me nostalgic about my college days! Those were the best days of life when we were living our life without worrying about future!
That’s so cool that you can reconnect with people from high school. Sometimes I wonder what certain people have gotten up to… I’m too young to have gone to any reunions yet but I’ll be really curious to go when the time comes.
Great idea! Last year I attended my 40th High School Reunion. I was at first hesitant about going as I had completely lost touch with most of my friends from school. The organiser set up a FB a year before the reunion and we all renewed our acquaintance and also connected with other girls we had never been friends with at school. It was fabulous and i’m so glad I went to the reunion. I was fascinated to hear what others had done with their lives and am grateful for the new friendships I formed.
Reunions can be so much fun. I had a high school choir reunion this summer. I hope you get to connect with the friends you left notes for.
Think a reunion would be great fun I have always thought about doing one…?
What an interesting website! I got rid of all my yearbooks after packing them for moves one to many times. I’ll have to check this out for a walk down memory lane.
I feel like facebook functions as my classmates.com right now. We all became facebook friends when it first started and now keep up with one another’s lives through there. Do you feel the two sites are comparable?
I have yet to go but who knows. It has been moved from Thanksgiving weekend to October. Why not summer like everyone else, I don’t know! Hope you meet up with old friends.
I still have not yet created an account. I’m anxious to see who is on Classmates!
This sounds like something my mom could definitely look into. I think it would be nice for her to find old classmates.
I think that would be exciting to get those notifications of potential new contacts and old friends.
I think it’s fascinating that many of us can’t remember what we made for dinner last week, but can remember names and faces from youth. Longterm school memories are strong!
This is so great. But my high school class was
So small. I meet with my high school friends every few months. Small town living has its advantages!!
Woah! You had one huge class! I graduated with a little
Less than 100!
Hello, my name is Vuwea Scott, since I am attended from Esperanza School, Thursday June 20th 2002, at age of 20. Former (means old) students and teachers are missed me a lot, always remembrance in Chicago, IL & happy 15th class reunion forever!
Since I am starting a school, I was 7, in 29 years, 1989, til I’m finishing a Esperanza School, I was 20, in 16 years ago, on June 20th 2002. They’re celebrating my 13 years of student at Esperanza Community Services in Chicago, IL & be remembrance by all old classes & teachers !
I am remembering Esperanza School in 30 years, I was 7 (1989), til age of 20, I’m finishing a school in 17 years, on June 20th 2002 !