Making new friends can be a challenge to anyone. What do you say? How should you act? Whether you are transferring to a new school or just in need of some new friends, you may find yourself flustered with words and ideas about making new friends. It is normal to be nervous about meeting new people. Being outgoing is a challenge to some people, however being able to start a quick conversation with someone is the best way to begin developing a new friendship. It is also a good idea to join many clubs and sports activities to meet new friends.

You may be asking yourself: why is it so easy for some, yet so difficult for others? The answer is in your confidence. You need to be confident in order to actually be able to talk to someone. Do not be afraid to talk to someone! They are most likely willing to make new friends as well.

Make a list of reasons you need new friends and what you would like in a friend. It may take a while to find the right friends, however in the end, taking time to choose friends that are a good match for you will be worth it.

There are many ways to meet new people. You can meet people at lunch, in classes or even in the hallways. Mario Kakos, tenth grader at West Bloomfield High School, says, “Bump into someone and say ‘sorry’ to start a conversation.”

An easy way to make new friends is talking to people in your classes. You have at least an hour and a half just sitting next to the same people almost every other day. This means you should get to know them; they might actually end up becoming really close to you by the end of the year. Angelica Mikhail, twelfth grader at WBHS, says, “My advice would be to just try talking to the people in your classes. This worked for me and is actually how I made my best friend. It works because by talking to others, you find things in common and it starts a relationship.”

Another great tip on making friends is to not limit yourself to one group of people. Try to have many different types of friends so that you are not limiting your interests. By doing this you are being an individual and diversifying your social circle. Jacob Rashty, eleventh grader at WBHS, says, “Be open to meeting all different types of people and all your classes and lunch because this will widen your variety of friend groups allowing you to network yourself. This works because he won’t be excluding yourself to one group.”

The most important thing when it comes to making  friends is picking the people with whom you share similar interests or values . Be yourself. It may sound cliché, but do not try to be something you are not. Navon Mosley, a tenth grader at WBHS, says, “Be yourself, don’t try to fit in. Real friends will accept you regardless.”

Rashty adds, “Be yourself, because at the end of the day your true friends will always be by your side.”