<p>I don't know what it is about me. In middle school I was well-liked by nearly everybody that I met and people considered me genuinely funny, but I was still pretty insecure and was always overthinking most of my actions. I always managed B+ averages though and so when I got to high school I got stuck in classes with everybody including the jocks and people who don't care about anything. In these classes I barely felt any connection with the kids and my insecurity took over a lot to the point where I was hardly talking in classes. This trend of not being able to make it in went all the way to Junior year and it got worse and worse as more people started exiting the academic classes...</p>
<p>Going into senior year now, I finally managed to get the A averages I've been hoping for and am enrolling it into AP classes. Do you guys think being in these classes will open me up a little bit more? In my classes I usually always connected the most with people that were intelligent. At the moment I pretty much dread high school, there are a ton of classes where I don't really have anybody that I have stuff in common with and although I'm pretty sure nobody really thinks I'm a weird kid or makes fun of me, I'm not too close to anybody really. I know it's probably too late to get involved in a friend group but I'm really hoping my lack of being social is somewhat due to the people in my classes and not because I am socially awkward or something.</p>
<p>Forget about the past. You’ve made it into the coveted AP classes - congratulations. Be confident and reach out to the people in your AP classes. </p>
<p>I can relate to the part about not being able to relate with the jocks and such. I can’t relate - at all. Fortunately, most of my classmates are the more intellectually-stimulating kind.</p>
<p>Let yourself go. It’s senior year so don’t hold yourself back. You’re doing what you’re doing. An important part of socializing is to not over think what you’re saying. Let conversations be natural. Don’t think as talking to new people as “I don’t have anything in common so we won’t relate” Just relax an conversate.</p>
<p>Also, make the first move if you can. That part is definitely the hardest.</p>
<p>Before this past year (i’m a rising senior now), I felt really shy and awkward about talking to new people (I don’t know about your school, but we get a lot of new kids every year), but now my goal is to be one of the first people to greet each newbie that walks in the classroom door. Even if you don’t end up being best friends, that person will never forget that you were kind to them and tried to help them, and in some cases I actually HAVE become friends with them.</p>
<p>Also, even though this is hard (I found it hard), you should try to cast your skepticisms about people aside. I used to basically stereotype people based on what classes they were in and who they hung out with, but I took the time to get to know some of them and they’re really not that bad. Even though I don’t have a deep connection with them, I feel that by just greeting them every day and chatting quickly, a bond does form.</p>
<p>And it’s really never too late to join something! I mean…I think it’s a little too late to try and join the varsity lax team your senior year, but for clubs and stuff it isn’t too late. There are so many people I never would’ve talked to if not for the activities I do (and I don’t do many, but i’m dedicated to them).</p>
<p>I realized that making the first move in communication was most important. There’s usually one individual that was derping (like I) and needed somebody to talk too. In general, having a single and solid friend is magnitudes better then maintaining numerous superficial relationships with classmates.</p>
<p>Elleya has some great advice. Get to know people. Don’t judge them off the bat and circumscribe yourself to only a few people that you think are compatible. I distinctly remember classifying this one guy in my class as someone who I wouldn’t like. After talking to him a bit, he became one of my closer friends that year. So don’t walk into the class and immediately start limiting your options by saying “oh, he looks stupid - ain’t gonna talk to him … she looks like a jock … bye …”</p>