How to Make Friends for Freshman High Schoolers

Finding new friends can be a challenge at first, but it becomes easier during freshman year.

Starting high school can be a nerve-wracking time because there is so much hype revolving around these four years. If you're about to be a freshman, you might be nervous and wondering whether high school is really the way it's portrayed in TV and movies --- where being popular is a matter of survival and being bullied is a way of life. There's no need to worry; high school isn't as dramatic or intense as it is in fiction. The initial adjustment is tough for everyone, but most kids make it out fine. If you get nervous, just remember that even the seniors were in your position not too long ago.

Instructions

1. Join clubs. A great way to meet new people and make new friends is by joining clubs. Spending time with classmates outside of an academic environment, where you are allowed to talk and get to know each other, is much easier than trying to become friends in class, where you're supposed to be listening to a lecture or taking notes. Many clubs include sophomores and freshmen, who join to find their place in high school. Some people join because their friends are in the club, and others join to have a well-rounded college transcript. Being in a club will help you have an active social life because clubs provide a chance for underclassmen to meet each other based on mutual hobbies and thus form a tight-knit community. Examples of clubs you can join are Key Club, 4-H and Glee Club. Most high schools have a long list from which to choose.

2. Play sports. Some students are naturally gifted at sports. Those who aren't may have difficulty trying out for a high school team, but students who have always been physically active should try out for teams that pique their interest. Being on a sports team can be a very rewarding experience. Students often look back fondly on their high school sports games, where they learned about teamwork and had a great time with the friends they made. Sports teams often get to go on field trips for away games. Playing on a team can be a lot of fun, but it is also a great physical challenge to stay in shape, attend all the practices and be a reliable teammate.

3. Do volunteer work. In high school, students volunteer because they have an innate desire to help out their community, to embellish their college applications or both. As a freshman, you can volunteer at a soup kitchen, a hospital or helping tto construct housing for the homeless or victims of natural disasters. You're meet like-minded people while doing these acts of kindness.

4. Be the kind of friend you'd want to have. For some people, high school is one of the best times of their lives, but you should keep your expectations reasonable because life has a lot more to show you. High school can be a lot of fun if you keep up with your grades, do extracurricular activities and stay positive. Make genuine friends, not friends who will help you become cool or popular. To make life-long friends, be sincere and be the kind of friend you'd want to have.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't succumb to peer pressure by doing risky things such as trying smoking or doing drugs to make friends. These kind of people can't ever be your true friends, because they're putting you in harm's way.

References

• "High School Mediator"; All About High School Clubs; Dr. Patricia Fioriello; October 2009