A big concern for many young people is fitting in at school. Many friendships are made in school, so it's important to find friends that share your same interests.
A new school can be scary and intimidating. Fitting in can seem overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be that way. With a few simple strategies and a positive attitude you'll be fitting in at your new school in no time.
Use these tips in order to have a good start at high school:
- Before school starts. Prepare yourself. The first couple of weeks are always confusing, so go easy on yourself. Don’t worry about being popular on the first day. Believe it or not the majority of teens are more than happy to make a new friend.
- On your first day, wear something you like, but don't overdo it and try too hard. Keep it simple, if you have a very distinct style, tone it down. You don't want to alienate people just because of your clothes.
- First, take a day to appreciate your environment. Don’t know where your locker is? That’s great. Ask that nice person next to you. Asking for help is a great way to talk to and meet a lot of people on your first day.
- Introduce yourself to people when you find a seat in class. Sit down in a place where you feel comfortable and make a point if saying hello to the people sitting near you. A good opening line; "Hi, my name is Joe and I'm new here. Do you know, is this teacher any good?”
- For your first lunch, talk a lot to people in the class right before lunch. Usually, they will ask you if you're sitting with anyone, but if not, steer the topic towards school lunch (as in "is the food good?" etc) If no one specifically mentions eating together, but you're walking to the cafeteria together, then it's implied that you'll eat lunch together.
- For the first week at your new school, be nice to everyone and talk to everyone. When people talk to you; adults, teenagers and kids alike, smile, make eye contact and introduce yourself. Meeting just one new person can lead you to many more friends and fun times. So put on a big smile and start out by being friendly. Talk to different people and find out something interesting about them.
- Join a few clubs or sports and make more friends this way. This is the easiest way to meet people at a new school because it is in a much more casual than the classroom. You'll get a chance to spend time with peers who have similar interests to yours, and you'll get to bond with them in a more relaxed environment.
- After you've talked to someone a few times, ask them to do something over the weekend!