As back to school season is approaching for many people, you may start to think about what your goals are for this upcoming academic year. Getting good grades, joining more extracurricular activities and being more productive may just be a few goals. But one of your goals could also be to make new friends. It is never too late or bad to make new friends whether you have friends currently or whether you want to put yourself out there.
So, in today’s article, I will be sharing a few tips on how to meet new people and make your best friends this year. There is no direct answer to this and these tips are not guaranteed so take these tips to a pinch of salt. But some of these tips worked for me when I moved schools back in Year 8.
Let’s get started:
Firstly, figure out which institutions you can make friends from.
School is not the only place you can make friends. You can make friends in extracurricular activities, online and also in the workplace. Try to find which are applicable to you. For example, if you attend a regular ballet class, try to make new friends from there this year.
Have a few conversation starters up your sleeve.
If you are shy, introverted or you just want to know how to converse with someone, then make sure that you have a few conversation starters. Here are a few:
- Smile
- Introduce yourself
- Be yourself
- Compliment them
- Try to find a similar interest e.g. if you see someone wearing a BTS t-shirt and you like BTS, then tell them you like it too and then talk to them about it
- Keep regular eye contact
- Adapt to others’ personalities (different people act a certain way)
- Ask a question about the topic or class you are in
- Keep the conversations going
Make sure not to overdo any of these. However, if you realise that the person you are talking to is not very interested, uncomfortable, or tries to move away, then chances are that they are not for you.
Know your standards and what the characteristics are of a bad friend.
Sometimes, if you are new to making friends, you may not realise that people could trip you up. This is not always the case but just lookout for these signs.
- Making you feel uncomfortable (peer pressure or doing things you don’t like)
- Bullying you or making you feel bad about yourself
- Giving you fake promises with no justification
- Tries to leave you out (especially in times of hardship) or refuses to be your friend
Again, don’t just judge a person if they only do any of these signs once or twice. Ensure that they have done these a couple of times and you then know that they are not for you.
After you feel like you are getting along with someone, know what to do next.
Take things slowly but if you, for example, if you are in a secondary school like me and you have a phone, possibly ask your parents if you can give them your phone number. This way, you can talk outside of school and keep in touch with them regularly. Some friends can be there to help you with your homework, while others may be there for you to go out. It is your choice of what you want to do.
If you do go out with any of your friends, do tell your parents in advance for your safety and security especially if you are just a child or teenager.
Those were my tips on how to make good friends and possibly even meeting your best friends this year. Do not feel afraid to put yourself out there, however hard it may be. Everyone is different and some people will like you and some won’t so just move on if needed.
Even if you are shy, don’t be afraid as they are just people like you.
For more tips on how to make good friends, check out my podcast linktr.ee/TheChatLibrary, available in over 5 podcast platforms.
These were my tips. Make sure to surf through my website for more information: http://surobiscribbles.com/category/advice/.
Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!