Reinvent Yourself to Gain Friends and Confidence in the New School Year

Whether you’re an upcoming college freshman or you want to be different when attending virtual classes, here are some things you can do for a new you

After three months’ summer vacation, you might be looking forward to the Fall for the new school year. This brings in much excitement, especially because a new school year always brings in changes.

The previous years, you might have been branded or labeled as a certain kind of student, and this is normal in any school scenario. If you want to change your image, the new school year would be the best time.

Even with the coronavirus pandemic making changes in the way schools are run, this should not stop you from reinventing yourself when you attend those virtual classes on Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

Consider your reasons

The first thing to do when trying to reinvent your image is to ask yourself why. There can be a dozen reasons why you want to change your image, but you will want to know the basics. Is it because you want to look nice for someone — a crush or a boyfriend, perhaps? Is it because you want your teachers to take you more seriously? Is it because you want to belong to a set of trendy, fashionable friends?

Decide on your new image

Image can be everything in school. Your image will dictate how your friends, classmates and teachers perceive you. You can go for a serious image, or you can go for a fun image. Again, it depends on the reason you have behind this reinvention.

Decide on how to execute this change

In practical terms, you will have a lot of choices. Change is not just about the clothes you wear or your hairstyle. You can reinvent yourself by doing new activities and being part of new groups. For example, if you want to reinvent yourself as an athlete, you can try out for any of the available sports teams like football, basketball, volleyball and the like. Want to be seen as a more optimistic and cheerful person? Join the cheering squad. Want to be taken more seriously? Join the debate team or science club.

Of course, if it’s as simple as changing your wardrobe, it can also be a reinvention. People might often label school kids by their attire — jocks, fashionistas, Goths, nerds, and the like.

Look for inspiration

Changing your image can be difficult if you don’t have an idea of how to do it. Look for someone you can look up to — it can be a classmate or friend, an older sibling, or even a celebrity. Try to observe how these people move about, how they speak, and what they say. More importantly, try to learn their philosophy in life. This can help you internalize your new image even better.

Build up your self-confidence

It will be difficult to change your image if you don’t have the confidence in yourself. Trust yourself, and have confidence that you are able to pull it off. This might take some time, especially if you are the shy and introverted type. But try to realize your self-importance and self-worth. Assess your qualities and your strong-points, and build on these.

Whether it’s changing your wardrobe, joining an athletic team, being more serious in your studies, or impressing your crush, reinventing yourself for the new school year will involve a lot of courage and self-esteem. Just be sure of your reasons, and that you are reinventing yourself not because of what others think, but because of what you want.