STUFF YOU MAY NOT HAVE LEARNED IN MIDDLE SCHOOL: LEONARDO DA VINCI COULD WRITE WITH ONE HAND AND DRAW WITH THE OTHER—AT THE SAME TIME.
No one wants to live life alone. (Look back at chapter 17—“The Loner.”) God has wired us to share life with other people. When you’re the new kid at school, especially when you move in the middle of the school year, you don’t know anyone, you don’t know where anything is, and you can totally feel alone. As the new kid, you need to know that you can’t just sit at your desk or at the lunch table and expect others to come to you and ask to be your new best friend. You gotta be proactive, take that first step, and look for opportunities to get to know others. So what are some things you can do as the new kid on campus?
Be nice. As you wander around your crowded middle school campus, make sure you’re nice. It seems like a no-brainer, but over the years we’ve seen many middle school students try to fit in by being rude, sarcastic, and outright mean. Don’t build a friendship on this stuff. Just be nice, smile, be encouraging, and ask a lot of questions. Being friendly is the best way to make friends.
Look for a few people to eat lunch with. As the new kid, one of the best times to get to know others at your school is during lunch. Lunch is 30plus minutes of uninterrupted quality time for you to connect with others at your school. Walk around campus and look for someone you’ve met in class, on the bus, or out in the halls, and then ask if you can eat lunch with her and her friends. Chances are good (probably like 86.2 percent) that she’ll say “yes.” But if she says “no,” don’t take it personally. (She doesn’t even know you.) Stay positive and find another group to hang out with. When you do find a group, make sure you’re nice.
Be patient. When you’re new to a school, it’s super-tempting to get frustrated if you don’t make friends right away. Be patient. It’s probably going to take a little while for everybody else to get to know you and for you to “click” with a group of friends. Remember, most of the kids at your new campus have known each other forever, so adding somebody new to their group takes a little time.
Even though we tried to make being the new kid sound easy by listing three simple steps, we know it’s a big deal. If it’s ever happened to you, you know what we’re talking about. But hang in there...you’re only new for a little while.