I'm going to a new school for grade 12. Any insightful stories, tips, warnings, whatever?

Question

I've been the new kid 3 times before - but in grades 2, 4, and 6. I moved to school A, stayed for two years, went to school B, returned to school A for grade 5, and attended the other elementary school in my town for grades 6/7. So when we started high school in grade 8, I knew my entire grade (minus a few newcomers) - I haven't had to meet a whole big group of new people since I was 11, and I'm a bit nervous.

I'm not totally terrified, but I have this nasty nagging voice that says, "What if no one likes you? What if everyone has their friends? What if you make friends but you're always just a hang-on and they only hang out with you at school and never invite you anywhere away from school? Or what if the only people who want to talk to you are the loser stoner kids and you have to be their friend or else be alone?"

This isn't a question so much as a request for you to share your stories and what you've learned about being a new kid fairly late, after everyone's been in their high school social groups for years. Thanks. :)

I guess ten points to best story or most insightful answer? (Provided I can work out how to choose best answer; I had trouble last time. Silly me.)

Answer 1

I was the new kid in my school freshman year. I was going from a private schooled girl all my life to public school. It was scary. I already knew one person in my grade from my church but we were never really around each other except for those few minutes in homeroom. I was EXTREMELY shy because I didn't know anyone and reacted coldly if anyone tried to talk to me. (trust me, a new kid is like a shiny object in front of a child, people will talk to you)

I went on the entire semester with one friend who was also new (we were on cross country together and we bonded for survival) And I only saw her after school.

I have a bit of an aggressive personality and the lack of socializing that I was exerting at school caused me to be extremely prone to lash out at home and irritable. Finally the second semester was coming and I was afraid of having to start all over with figuring out who people were in my classes. ( we change up each semester like in college) There was one girl who had been in my art class who was now in my history class and I kinda latched onto her. She did not mind at all and is now one of my closest friends. She opened me up and introduced me to other people. It took a while but I finally managed to be myself at school. (It took another year) Halfway through sophomore year I found myself not with the popular crowd(who wants those losers anyway?) but with no less than 14 close friends. So it took me a while but I found my place in my school's social order. Quite a few of them were people who had made advances of friendship towards me in that first lonely semester but I had rejected them. (we laugh about it now as they recount how scared they had been of my cold disposition and I tell them how terrified I had been that someone was talking to me!)

So my advice to you, don't be shy. You don't have a year and a half like I did to figure things out. Be yourself from the beginning and the people who will be your real friends will come to you!

Answer 2

just go and find people who are in common with u.and dont be nervous or embarrased try to act funny everyone loves someone whos funny thats what i did when i went to my new highschool and now im one of the popular guys in my class