Hey genie_us!

I'm attending a new school, can you please give me some advice?

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Hey!

Brace yourself everybody, it's time to go back to school. Gone are the days where you could wake up at one o'clock in the afternoon and do nothing the whole day...trust me, I'm not too happy about it either lol

Like I've been trying to remind myself how to write yea, I try and pick up a pen but my fingers are like "how do I hold you, dear foreign item?" And I just stare at my maths holiday homework and my brain cells just kill themselves.

#Idigress

Starting a new school is one of the scariest things you'll have to do in your school life, if you know what I mean. It'll be such a whirlwind of emotions, where you're scared and frightened and then you're lonely and then you feel awkward and lost...

But new experiences are always like that, ya know? You've just gotta go and wing it!

Here are a few pointers that will hopefully boost your confidence before you return.

Look your best 

Wear something that makes you look good. Casual, not overstated, but still attractive at the same time. Buy some new clothes for school, and how about that amazing bag you saw at Forever 21?Personally, I feel great going to school and getting to wear my new shit, and it could be just as simple as a bracelet. Still, make an eeffort to look your best!

Let me get one thing straight here, though. You are not doing this for everyone else. You're doing this for you.

Why?

First of all, knowing that you look great will give you that extra wave of confidence to get you about your day. Looking good on the outside does make you feel good on the inside, and you'll find yourself spreading these positive vibes to anyone and everyone you get to meet!

Secondly, first impressions are important. How you carry and dress yourself does tell a lot about you, and whether you like it or not, people will judge you from their very first glance at you. That's just how school works in general, wherever you are. 

Keeping your head high and dressing well means that you'll find yourself in a good place. More people like to be associated with confident and well-groomed people, so do try and take the trouble.

If you wear school uniform, this can still apply. Think about it. Even though you're all wearing the same thing, there's certain things that distinguish someone who doesn't give two shits and someone who looks presentable. For instance, how you do your hair  or how your clothes fit.

Whatever you're wearing, make it look good on you. You should aim for the balance between 'socially acceptable' (you don't want to look like such a nun) and 'teacher approved' (you don't want to look like a slut either).

This is basically just a way to boost your confidence. (Just don't get arrogant).

Be brave

You don't know anyone, so you've got to try and make some friends. It's scary, because you don't know what to say or how to approach people.

But, chances are, every other new person is just as scared as you are. That could be where you start; with the newbies who are just like you. 

What you've got to do is just breath in deep and start talking to someone. Anyone. See a group of people who look like they're pretty cool? Don't be afraid to say hi to them!

Every time I'm frightened of doing something, I ask myself - "what's the worst that could happen?" and I just go for it. 

Be nice and friendly

One thing I've noticed sometimes is when a new person joins my school, they don't seem approachable in the sense that they're just keeping to themselves. I understand that they're scared of the whole experience, but more often than not they give us the vibe that they don't want to be spoken to. It's especially the worst when you actually try and talk to them but they make it difficult for you.

So, to change the fact that you might seem like the unapproachable one, be nice to everyone who comes your way. Smile, wave, be cool. 

Be proactive

I'd assume that the majority of people in the school alrady know each other from the last school year and so on, and you're one of those few people who everyone's watching to see where they fit in because you're new.

(This is opposed to my other presumption that everyone is new, like if you're transitioning between prep and high school or whatever.)

Anyway, what I am getting at is that if everyone is already familiar with each other, you've got to be the proactive one and make an effort to make a friend. You see, they're not as 'desperate' (for lack of a better word) as you are - they already have their friends. You need friends. 

But, thing is, they're not going to just go out of their way to be your friend. They may do that for like the first few days, inviting you to sit with them or something, but after that you'll have to be the one taking the initiative to establish an actual friendship with certain people so that they're not inviting you out of pity but because you're actually "one of them" now.

So, don't just sit there and hope that someone will feel sorry for you because truth is, you'll only be the 'new kid'  for so long. Afterwards, everyone will  forget about you, so you need to build a solid foundation by making good connections with people from the very beginning.

Be a good student

As much as friends and your social life matter, you also need to make a good impression amongst the teachers. They're the ones who determine your grades and everything, after all. There's no point in causing trouble, so just be a likeable student: do your work, ask questions, be neat and everything.

(I'm not saying that you should be a teacher's pet, but it's better to be on their side). 

Join lots of clubs, play sports and participate in extra-curricular activities

Lots of new students tend to shy away from participating from sports and other clubs because of all the sudden attention and criticism that will be unloaded on them. What 'the new kid' does is something that will inevitably be talked about, and even though that's a scary thought, you just got to go for it. If you know you're brilliant at a certain something, don't hesitate to show it off! 

Also, it is a great way to make friends who share the same interest as you. Furthermore, you'll be building a reputation for yourself as a person who likes to get involved. Teachers like that, hint hint. Universities love that, HINT, HINT!

Do things you enjoy. Are you good at swimming? Find out when the squad trains. Do you play the flute? Join band/the orchestra! It helps you gain confidence as well. Like to argue? Debate club!

Just make sure you get the right balance so that these don't overweigh your academics.

Be yourself

Starting at a new school is a great relief sometimes. You finally have the chance to re-create yourself, invent a new you. It's a great feeling to leave all your baggage from your old school behind. You can start a-new, because no one here knows about that embarrassing nickname or the days where you made one stupid decision which spoiled your reputation quickly. 

That's the best thing about starting afresh. But you've got to be careful: don't lose yourself. Don't pretend to be someone that you're not. You've learnt from your past mistakes, so use these to help you improve yourself, but not change you into something else. That's because you'll attract the wrong friends, and you'll find it exhausting to keep up this new 'image' you've created for yourself.

Remember what's important

Don't lose sight of what's important. Your grades are important. How you treat people is important. How you value and portray yourself is important too. 

::

You've got a short period of time to prove yourself when you join a new school in every way possible: socially, academically, physically...and so on. Don't let yourself down, because you know how good you are.

You know that you're nice, that you're funny, that you're smart, that you're great at running, that you're awesome at chess (etc), so let everybody see those things as well! 

Make friends, laugh, have fun, study hard, party harder (choose the right friends, lol).

Be the best you that you can possibly be!

Funny thing is, I'm starting at a new school, too. I'm so bloody scared, because I honestly don't know what to expect.

Sometimes I wish I could follow my own advice.

GAAH!

- genie_us