LIFE

Dear Carol,

I’ve been homeschooled for three years and have decided to go back to public school. It will be my first time in high school so I’m nervous, especially since we’re moving and I’ll be around kids I don’t know. I’ve told myself I’ll make friends, but I keep having thoughts of kids teasing me about the way I look (I’m goth). How can I overcome this?

School Fool

Remind yourself that other new kids will be looking for friends and that teasing tends to be less of a problem in high school because many students have outgrown the insecurities behind mean spiritedness. Be outgoing, and sign up for after-school activities. Also, why not show up for school in an outfit that isn’t so attention-getting? You’re right that people judge by appearances, so it’s not a bad idea to have a lower profile at least the first few days of the new school year.

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by Carol Weston | 8/1/2016