Guide to being new at school

By Sophie

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Are you changing schools this year and do you feel like you’re leaving your old comfortable school life behind? Then this article is for you!

You can be either in a new school because your parent(s) moved to another city or you changed schools in the same city just for it to better fit your needs and ambitions. In both cases, it can be stressful to enter a new environment.

There are two scenarios that usually happen to students who change schools.

      #1: Remember Bella Swan when she arrived in Forks and got all the unnecessary attention from people? You’re already new, you barely know the school grounds and now all of a sudden, people start asking you all sorts of questions. This  isn’t necessarily from a bad intention, people might just be curious and it’s natural; but for shy and introverted people, this can feel overwhelming.

      #2: People barely notice you, don’t know your name and you just sit in the back row just to be sure people won’t see you.

Neither of these scenarios will last forever though as more and more people will start noticing you - or on the contrary, some people might just lose interest in you.

During my childhood, I travelled a lot and was a new student more than a handful of times. I never really got used to it, especially as a shy person, and had mixed feelings for the first day of school: I was excited because I loved to learn but at the same time, I dreaded having to make new friends.

When I arrived at school, I always felt like people were already friends for ages (which was the case) and they wouldn’t want to let a newbie in their group.

I hated recess as this was the time where I was alone and people saw that I would just stand or sit on a bench by myself.

However, one day, I took a sketch book to school and during recess, I started drawing. Several other kids were interested and came to look at what I was doing. They stayed for a couple of minutes and then went off to continue playing. I felt kind of sad but I didn’t feel lonely because I had something to do and recess time passed a lot faster. Some other times, I would bring a book and teachers would ask me what I’m reading.
When I was in 8th grade, I decided to take some theater lessons and this helped me a lot with my shyness. I wasn’t afraid to go up to people and just ask how they were and what they were doing.

Whether you’re an extravert or an introvert, here are some tips on being new at school:

• Bring a book, a sketching notebook, earphones or whatever else you like. You’ll see, people who are interested in what you’re listening or reading will ask you questions and this can encourage them to talk about their tastes.
• Don’t change who you are. This is extremely important and it’s easier said than done but don’t try to fit in a place you don’t feel comfortable in or where you don’t belong. I promise you’ll find some people out there with whom you will have common interests and you’ll have plenty to talk about.
• Find clubs which you could join in school or any extracurricular activities you find interesting like sports, theatre, singing, piano, dancing, etc.
• If you feel out of place or if you are being bullied verbally or physically, please talk about it with your parents, teacher or school counsellor.

 
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken” – Oscar Wilde

As much as it is stressful to be new at school, remember that the students around you were at least in the same boat once. You should never feel obligated to change yourself to feel accepted because you’re an amazing person and you’ll find people out there who appreciate you, your style and your sense of humour just the way it is.

And if you’re reading this and you’re not new at school, please go to the new students and ask how they are and what their hobbies are whilst still giving them space; I’m sure they’ll appreciate someone coming up to them.

Good luck with this new year and if you need someone to talk to, feel free to send me a message!