Back to School Advice - Starting a New School

Hellllloooooo everyone! Whether you're going into secondary school or moving to a completely different one, it can be quite scary, so I'm just going to write down a few tips I have for the Back To School season that could help people who are moving schools and things that I would have wanted year 7 (age 11-12) me to know. 

For people starting a new school - be that someone going into year 7, starting middle/high school or even just someone who has moved - one of the most important things to remember is that no one is going to be staring at you; I know that it can feel like everyone is looking at you, but it is most likely that this is not the case. A great way to make it less awkward if you do catch someone looking at you is to smile at them, as this will show them that you are a nice person, not a scary person. Another important thing to remember is that, unless you have moved schools, everyone else is in the same position as you, so even if they are acting like they could not care less, they probably are feeling exactly the same as you!  If you have moved schools, remember that people will be curious, and many people will be looking for a new friend, so it is very likely that they will start talking to you, as long as you make yourself look approachable!

It is also good to make sure you know where you're going - for example, in my first week of year 7, for my first science lesson me and my friends couldn't find the room, which resulted in us being late and the teacher shouting at us, which scared us. Looking back on it now, I can see that the teacher only did it to show her authority to the class, but I still think it was uncalled for, as the school was so big and it was our first/second day. The lesson to be learnt from this is to find out where your rooms are ahead of time, or ask someone in an older year who is in the corridors where it is - they will probably be honored that you find them approachable enough to ask them! Also, find someone to walk to each lesson with - you don't have to be bff's with them, but just find someone who you feel comfortable with and can talk to for a little bit - after all, it's better to walk into a classroom late with someone else than alone.

Another area that worries many people is getting new teachers, as of course no one wants to get the 'horrible' ones. Something I have found is that many teachers will start off mean to show the class that they are in charge and then gradually get nicer as the year goes by. Even if you do get the bad teacher, it's not the end of the world - you only have them for one lesson, and you can always try to make them like you! One thing that will happen with teachers as the year goes on is that they will get to know you better, which can work for/against you. For example, if you're shy like me, many of my teachers now pick on me less because they know how much I hate it. However, if you're badly behaved, it could go badly, as they will always have their eye on you - so just try your best to make sure that teachers like you!

However, if you're still dreading going back to school, just enjoy the holidays whilst they last! If anything, just look forward to autumn/fall season, and autumn fashion and make-up! 

I hope you're all having/had a great summer and look forward to more back to school posts coming soon. Talk to you soon!

- L x