The Art of Making Friends

One of the most daunting things about entering high school, middle school even, is meeting new people.  Most students are inclined to stick to their “old” group of friends from their previous school.  THIS IS BAD!  When coming to a new school you want to make sure that you keep an open mind.  Kids who stick with their “old” group of friends are usually categorized as either shy or sometimes even ignorant.  Although, these are hardly your intentions, this is what people think.  You just feel more comfortable with your “old” friends, right?

I think that one of the best reasons to make new friends is to have more fun.  You’ll always have your best friends, but it’s healthy to make new “regular” friends.  These are the people you can talk to in school, wave to in the hallway, and ultimately count on if you need help with either school, or problems at home, or emotional issues.  Now back to the fun thing.  The reason that meeting new friends makes school more fun is that in between classes you’ll have more people to talk to and more people to go out with (theatres, mall, beach, restaurants, etc…).

In terms of academics, it’s good to meet new people because  you get variety!  Say for instance all of your “old” friends are good at english but not at math. By meeting new people, you probably have friends who are good at math now.  By having more “regular” friends in your life, or at least people that you are socially active with, you’ll feel more comfortable at school.  You’ll feel less judged by others.  When I first entered high school I felt like everyone was staring at me and judging me in some way.  Fast forward a few months, and I felt like high school was one huge security blanket.  By just putting myself out there and not being afraid of people I forged lasting memories that made me feel like I was a part of something special.

I understand that there are “cliques” or “stereotypes” in high school, but the key is to put a smile on your face, be pleasant, and ALWAYS KEEP AN OPEN MIND.  I never paid attention to cliques.  If there was someone that I wanted to talk to I put my social face on and talked to them.  For all I know they were probably relieved that someone new was talking to them or they were just as nervous about what I thought of THEM.

The last, but most important rule is to BE OPTIMISTIC.  No one likes a downer.  Downers and pessimistic people are the ones who never make new friends.  There is no reason to wear a scowl and if you do then no one will care about you.  It will make high school miserable!!!!  Let me make this very clear, I’m not saying you should go out and make a million friends, but even a few new friends is great!  Just a few new people who share similar interests can make all the difference in high school

The Art of Surviving High School Cliques

Cliques!... Cliques... Where should I begin? Cliques were probably the most annoying part of high school. It will still annoy you even after reading my opinion about them. The thing you have to understand about cliques is that no matter how much you try to ignore them, you can't! Cliques are those groups of people who always make you feel like an outsider. However, what many people fail to focus on is that cliques aren't really cliques. That doesn't make sense, right? However, in reality, it makes perfect sense. Most people that are involved in a clique trash talk all of their fellow clique-mates. Trust me! I was involved in a few "cliques" in high school. The minute Billy Bob turns their back, Barbara Ann starts to talk about how annoying and obnoxious he is, not to mention how she can't stand him.

This is why it's good not to be involved in cliques. There is a huge difference between having a group of friends and being in a clique. Cliques are full of people who are alike in some major aspect, whether they're all jocks or they're all goths. The only reason people are friends with people in cliques is because they can make other people who aren't like them feel like they don't belong, thus increasing their self esteem. A group of friends is people who can get along and have a good time with each other... PERIOD! Don't ever feel like you aren't good enough to be involved in a clique, because when high school ends and reality sets in, you'll realize that all of these people were never actually friends to begin with.