Congratulations! You've made it past middle school and are on your way to high school. First impressions are crucial, so you'll want to make a good one on your teachers and fellow students. Don't worry though - with the following tips in mind, you'll be able to make it through that first day, make friends, and avoid trouble.
1Practice good personal hygiene. Being clean and having good personal hygiene is always important, but it's even more important when trying to make a good first impression. Some high schools even have picture day on the first day, which is an even greater excuse to look your best. The night before or the morning of school, take a shower or a bath, and make sure to wash your body and your hair. Don't forget to wash and moisturize your face, and brush your teeth and hair in the morning.
- Don't forget to wear deodorant! Even if you think you don't smell, you could be wrong. And because you're usually nervous on the first day of school, you'll probably be sweating more than normal, which may cause some extra body odor or sweat stains.
- Make sure you smell good. Taking a shower is enough to accomplish this, but a little bit of perfume or cologne might be nice as well. Make sure to only use a small amount, because overdoing it will make you smell just as bad. Also, keep in mind that some students are allergic to scents like perfume/cologne, so if you choose to wear some, keep it very minimal.
2Pick out a nice outfit. It's important to wear clothes that make you feel good about yourself. Pick something that you feel comfortable in and that makes you feel confident. However, avoid clothing that is against your school's dress code, such as short-shorts, low-cut tops, and anything with bad language or racist pictures on them - this will result in a trip to the principal's office, which makes a horrible impression.
- When picking out your outfit, don't worry too much about what others are wearing - focus on choosing something that's comfortable for you. For example, just because your friends are wearing spaghetti-strap tops doesn't mean you have to if you don't like having your shoulders exposed.
3Come prepared. Although you probably won't be doing any intense note-taking on the first day of school, it's still a good idea to arrive with some basic school supplies so that you'll be prepared for any situation that might arise. Your teachers might want you to jot down a few basic notes about their class, so it's a good idea to bring some writing utensils like pens and pencils, as well as a notebook or some loose-leaf paper. It may also be a good idea to bring a combination lock with you (unless your school provides you with one), so that if lockers are assigned on the first day, you'll be able to put your lock on right away. You may also want to go to your school's website and print out a map of your school to bring with you, or take a picture of the school map on your phone so that you know your way around. Being prepared will help you make a good impression on your teachers and on your fellow students as well.
4Arrive early. Show up a good 10-15 minutes before you're supposed to arrive at school. This gives you enough time to find your friends and catch up with them, and will also ensure that you have enough time to find your classes. Teachers hate it when students are late, and even though they'll probably let it slide on the first day, you don't want to be remembered as "the late kid".
5Keep your schedule with you. On the first day of high school, many students shove their schedules into their lockers and try to memorize their classrooms on their own, which only causes them to be late, make their teachers angry, and embarrass themselves. Don't be the student that walks into the wrong class because you forgot that you had English after lunch. If you don't want to walk around with a paper schedule in your hand, take a picture of it on your phone so that you'll always have it with you.
6Listen to your teachers. Even on the first day of school, teachers will still be sharing important information with you, such as their classroom expectations, what you'll be doing during the school year, and what materials to bring to class, so it's important to pay attention. This is especially crucial on the first day, because if teachers catch you daydreaming, chatting with your friend, or checking your phone while they're talking, they will have a bad first impression of you.
7Be on your best behavior. It's important to impress your teachers, but it's equally (if not more) important to impress your classmates. After all, these are the people you'll be hanging out with and socializing with. To make sure you're putting your best foot forward, it's important to be friendly and approachable to your classmates. Sometimes teachers will make you sit beside someone you don't know, and if that happens, don't just sit there awkwardly. Instead, be confident - say hello, smile, and introduce yourself to the person beside you. Don't be afraid to make some small talk, like asking them what elementary or middle school they went to or what they did during the summer. You never know what potential friend, or girlfriend/boyfriend, could be sitting inches away from you!
- Don't make fun of others. Even if you have a mean thought in your head about someone in your class, keep it to yourself, otherwise everyone will label you as a jerk. Making fun of others impresses nobody, and you could get reported to the principal.
- Avoid swearing, as this makes a bad first impression on everyone and may make you seem unapproachable.
8Participate in class. If the teacher asks a question that you know the answer to, don't be afraid to put your hand up and answer it! Your teacher will be pleased that you participate, and your fellow classmates will secretly be thankful to you, because it means they didn't have to answer the question themselves. However, don't overdo it - if you answer every single question the teacher asks, you may be perceived as a bit of a show-off, which won't make a good impression on your classmates. It's fine to answer some questions, but make sure to let your classmates answer a few as well.
- If you get lost, don't be afraid to ask someone nicely for directions.
- Don't worry if you don't feel comfortable right away - it might take some time to get used to your new high school.
- Remember that starting high school is not like the movies - your classmates will usually all want to make good impressions and be nice to one another, so nobody will be going out of their way to embarrass you.
- Don't tell anyone your locker combination. This won't really impress anyone, and you'll just end up with someone breaking into your locker at one time or another!
- Don't play pranks on your teachers. Starting off the year with a prank won't impress very many classmates, and even something simple like switching names with your best friend will seriously upset your teachers and potentially lead to detention.
In other languages:
Español: dar una buena impresión en secundaria, Português: Passar uma Boa Impressão no Colégio, Italiano: Fare una Buona Impressione alle Superiori, Русский: оставить хорошее впечатление в новом классе
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