Starting at a new school can be exciting to down right frightening. Whether you’re going from junior high to high school, or transitioning in the middle of the school year, the jitters and worries of finding new friends is very prominent. You may be lucky to have friends going to the same senior high as you, or you may be lucky by having a natural charm that just oozes out of you and beckons people forth. For some people though, meeting not just new people, but new friends can be a daunting experience. It is with these people in mind, that I now present to you five useful tips to meet people at school.
1. Go to clubs or try out for sport teams
At your school, find something that interests you and join. Do you love writing? Join the school newspaper. Do you like anime and your school is lucky enough to have a club for that? Join away. Love taking pictures? Photography club or maybe even yearbook club is your calling. Can you effectively dribble a ball and shoot? You should try out for the basket ball team. By going to clubs and joining sports teams you are able to meet new people that share the same interests and are able to work well together.
2. Involve yourself in collaborative classes
Joining classes like band, drama, and leadership can be time consuming but in order for these classes to function, it involves a certain amount of communication and team work for them to work. Sometimes being thrown into a group of like minded people can yield good results… especially when they’re for marks.
3. Bring gum
Everybody wants gum. You have gum. Charm them with a witty joke or an original flavour of your personality while you’re at it and they’re all yours. The good old bait and switch.
4. Volunteer at your school
Little feels better than knowing you helped someone out that needed it. While you’re feeding chicken soup to your soul, you’ll be working on your communication skills with your peers and hopefully meeting people that care just as much as you do.
5. Smile and put yourself out there
“Smile? Really? That’s your last tip?” Yes, yes it is. Trusts me, it helps not to look like you’re about to murder everyone in your near vicinity while you’re walking down the hallway. Don’t always expect people to talk to you first. Take the initiative, introduce yourself and try and make small talk. Not everybody you talk to will remain your friend for the entire school year, but the chances of finding those true friends increases considerably than when compared to sitting in the back all by yourself. Wear your favourite fandom shirt and perhaps it’ll act as a beacon to fellow fans. Do I smell friendship in the oven? I think I do.