Selecting the Right Classmate Find Service
High school friends often make a vow that they will be friends forever. Though many mean this when they say it, it does not always happen. It’s not really anyone’s fault, as life often has other plans. No one means to lose touch, but the excitement of going off to college or living a life much different than high school often means that people eventually lose each other. Well meaning people keep in touch for a while, but as lives change and new adventures occur, people slowly lose touch. There usually comes a time when people think about old friends, and they decide it is time to find them. This is when the search for finding old classmates begins.
One of the biggest obstacles in finding an old classmate is that people move around quite a bit, and women may take a new name when they marry. That can make finding anyone rather difficult. Parents move too, so simply finding an old number and calling the parents of a friend may not work either. When faced with nothing to go on but a memory and a name, many like to use searches online like Reunion.com to see what they can find. Hopefully, the person sought has had the same thoughts, and they will be easy to locate.
Sites that are designed to help old classmates find each other have a large variety of tools that anyone can use to see what pops up. If you can not find someone with one tool, you may be able to find them with another. If you are lucky, the person you seek has already signed up with the site, and they may come up immediately. Those who have married and changed their name will often be listed by both their married name and their maiden name so that others can find them.
When you sign up for any site, one of the first things you will do is fill out a profile about yourself. This will be basic information about you that will help others find you. This will include your current and maiden name (if applicable), where you live, and most importantly, where you went to high school along with your year of graduation.
There are other things that you may add to your profile, but those are usually optional. You may want to take the time to add this information, as the person you are looking for may very well be looking for you too. If you fill out your profile, they may find you first. Once you have set up your profile, you can see how many people view it, along with other things.
Sites like Reunion.com have a blog feature. Though this might not be a sure-fire tool to help you find someone, it does have a very interesting potential. If someone finds you, they can read up on your blog to see what you have been up to and what you are doing with your life. If you find someone you are looking for, you can then read their blog as well. Not all members will use the blog feature, but it can be a great way to catch up with someone after not seeing or speaking to them for a very long time.
Most sites also allow those who have signed up to post photographs. This can be extremely useful, as well as a great way to share in addition to the blogging feature. If you find a name, but you aren’t sure it is the person you are looking for, you can view the photos. Though people change, and some change a lot, you can usually still identify an old friend from a recent photograph. There won’t be much confusion if you went to a smaller school, but some larger schools have people with the same names. Photos can eliminate some of the confusion.
You may also want to take advantage of the forums, if the site you are searching has that feature. Many post when they are eager to find someone. They are often asking for anyone with any information to help them out. You could even post a message of your own if you wish. This is a great way to find someone, even if you find a friend-of-a-friend first. You can then follow the trail to the person you are looking to find, if they wish to be found. Forums can also be great to advertise upcoming reunions and other activities for alumni of a certain school.
Probably the most useful feature on any classmate finder is the search. What you can find in a search will vary from site to site of course, but some things are on all of them. You can usually search for someone by age and location. You can request results from within so many miles of your hometown or your current location, and you can request a certain age group to significantly narrow down the results you are seeking. Some offer a search by profile, and some can search photos or blogs, depending on what the site offers.
You may not know who or what you can find by searching any of these sites, but you won’t know until you try. You may find many of your old friends, or people who know where they are. You may even find people you have forgotten about completely. If you live far from home, you may also be surprised to find people from your general area that you can contact. Looking can certainly be fun, but don’t give up if you don’t find someone right away. These sites are full of people, so it might take you a while to find who you are looking for.
