Going to a new school is always difficult. You have new teachers, new textbooks, new school lunches, new people and a new campus. Whoa what a lot to get used to! With all this stress, the one thing kids want is to be accepted. However, sometimes that can cause even more grief and unhappiness. What’s a teen to do?

I myself have been to a couple different schools. At times I’ve wanted to give up, but I can tell you that’s not the way to go. In order to make your transition to a new school go as smoothly as possible follow these steps:

1. If you can get a map of your school ahead of time, to find out where your classes are. If this isn’t an option go to your schools orientation and take a tour of the school.

2. Lay out your clothes and backpack for school the night before. This will eliminate a rushed morning.

3. Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast to keep your mind alert


Now that your ready for an eventful day, it’s time to actually go to school. This is generally the scariest part for most people. At first all of the new faces will seem unnerving, and you might just want to crawl back in bed. Fear Not! :] When you arrive at your first class try introducing yourself to some people. Don’t pick the people you think are cool, that will almost always backfire. Besides, you want to be friends with people who share the same interests as you do. When speaking to a new person, you could say anything from Hey I’m……., or Wow I really like that outfit, where’d you get it. One important thing to remember is not to talk about yourself, or brag about what you have. People generally see that as being cocky, and will not want to be your friend. You don’t want that to happen, so make conversation about the other person. As the day goes along try this strategy for each class. Don’t just make this a first day thing either, do this everyday and eventually you will meet people, believe it or not! As the day goes on, the dreaded lunch hour will arrive. You may be wondering where to sit, or if you should just go and hide in the bathroom. Before you head for the hills, try sitting down with a group of people by politely asking them “ hey can I sit here”. When your at the table introduce yourself. If this group doesn’t seem like somebody you’d hang out with, don’t sit there again. There’s always tomorrow and a chance to meet more people. Making friends at a new school is trial and error, you just have to keep trying J

Always remember, be yourself there’s bound to be people who share the same interests as you and will appreciate and love you for who you are.