If you have the right mentality you can make your high school experience, and even others, a great one. Never be too cocky, don’t think that you are better than someone because, to be honest, your not. Yes, there will be that someone who will be that way but you don’t have to follow suite. You need to start finding yourself, not molding into someone who isn’t going to be happy. Being rude and towering over other not only makes you seem like a bully, it also gives you a bad image of the person you could be or are.

Don’t force it to fit in. Never try to fit into a group that you want to be in but know it isn’t what you really want. I tried to fit into a group of girls that were, no offense, preppy and thought that they were all that. I eventually found that I can’t force myself into a gorup because it will make me seem desperate and needy which will turn off the girls that will give me a chance to become friends, same goes with guys.

Find your niche but stay open to others. I find that if you stay in your niche that is totally cool, I did. I just spent time with other groups because I made friends elsewhere as well. I hung out with band geeks and orchestra junkies and all the other groups where you can find things in common. If you meet someone new, get to know them, find things in common and even if you can’t you can at least become study buddies or classwork buddies.

Don’t let others influence you. No matter how much you want to fit in, don’t fall under peer pressure because it can lead you to dangerous or risky things that could lead you into trouble. I know some friends will try and get you to get out of your shell, I was one of those people where friends had to force me to do things, and once you rationalize it and it is reasonable then maybe you can do it. I never took risks that I knew would get me into real trouble.

Ask those questions. I never did ask questions and now I wish I had but I have advice for those who struggle with asking questions. I understood by my sophmore year that teachers are on a schedule because they only have you for however long and they need to teach you everything so that you are ready by the end of the semester or year. I would suggest going after school and making sure that you understand, the teachers will be more likely to help you without trying to rush it.

 

Have a support teacher. I would suggest finding a teacher who you connect with and can be your rock. By rock I mean that teacher who understands you and can help you through your issues or find a solution to help a dilemma you may have. I found my support teacher, thankfully, in my freshman year. I really miss my teacher and hope him the best. I find that it is good to have that teacher who has time for you and can take care of you in a sense that you can tell them anything. Friends are different because they are more opinionated and can sway your ideas and thoughts, teachers give you another perspective which I found was really helpful when I was going through high school.