How To Survive Secondary School: Friendships

Heya everyone! I am starting this mini 5-part series on my website which is ‘How To Survive Secondary School’. As a 16-year-old who has just finished secondary school and got some decent grades Alhamdulillah but also had a great experience, I wanted to share my ultimate tips on how to survive secondary school.

This is the first article I will be making in this series. And that is all about…FRIENDSHIPS! Making friends, especially in a new big school in Year 7, can be quite tough. It is also really important to make a good group of friends who will support and look out for you because one of the biggest influences of you growing up is the company you stay with. So here are my 10 tips that helped me to make good friends:

Don’t be afraid to speak up.

When starting school, you may meet many new faces and everyone may be shy. Don’t be afraid to be the first person to initiate a conversation with anyone. That person will thank you for it because otherwise they would have had to make the first move which can be difficult.

Know your boundaries.

This is so important! When I went through my first toxic friendship in Year 7, I realised the importance of speaking up. If you ever feel uncomfortable, whether it’s because your friends are cracking an offensive joke, or even if they are forcing you to go out, learn to speak up and tell them. You have control over your life!

Be kind and be yourself.

We all change throughout secondary school. But don’t let these changes be dictated by your friends. Be your authentic self because if you accept yourself the way you are, the right people will accept you too and you will end up having a great time. Also, kindness melts anyone’s heart, so be kind and if people don’t like that, they are not meant for you.

Don’t share everything with your friends.

This may be the most important tip! One of the biggest regrets of many teenagers (especially girls), is that they shared their deepest darkest secrets to their best friends and the next second, it is the latest gossip for the whole school. Even if it is your best friend in school, I still recommend keeping some things private because you can never predict what will happen. You may save yourself from a lot of embarrassment and unnecessary drama.

It is okay to change friends.

When I was in Year 7, I had this misconception that the friends I would make in Year 7 would stay with me throughout the whole 5 years. Little did I know that I would end up going through a toxic friendship, move schools and make a whole new set of friends in another borough! It is okay to think like this but also if you feel that your friends are not making you feel good, it is okay to change them!

Learn to be independent.

Many people are also afraid of staying by themselves in the playground, as they are deemed to be lonely. Let me tell you loud and clear: staying by yourself does NOT make you lonely. It teaches you independence sometimes. You don’t need to force yourself to be glued to your friends and it is okay to sometimes study/stay by yourself.

Meet friends outside of school safely.

As you grow older, you may be allowed by your parents to go out with your friends. I have a group chat with my friends and we sometimes arrange trips together and then we have a girls’ day out! Obviously, remember to tell your parents before going out with your friends, and stay safe!

Never text secrets or beef by text.

This is yet another important one. People screenshotting texts and sending them to others is totally a thing. So if you do have something private to tell someone or you have to resolve an argument, do it in person.

Have common interests.

Common interests are a great way to connect with people. If you are struggling to make friends, common interests are the way to start a conversation. And if you and your friend have no common interests, your school and subjects you study are of common interest! Talk about them.

Make friends from different places.

You don’t need to restrict yourself to only making friends in school…you can also make friends in your local community, your parents’ friends’ children, in clubs and extracurriculars or even your neighbours!

That was my article about friendships! I hope you have enjoyed this article! Remember that you will be fine and it is both okay to have friends and to also not have any friends at all!

Please share this article with anyone you know who goes to secondary school. And look out for the next article on this series. You can stay updated by subscribing to my weekly newsletter for free.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!