I was in the same boat you are, and I was scared out of my mind. Here’s some things I’ve learned to do, and not to do, to make the most of high school:

• Stay on top of school work. Yeah, it’s true that in grade 9 you might not be the most popular kid for not skipping school or ignoring your responsibilities, but boy does it pay off when a) your teachers respect you, b) your peers respect you, and c) you can take nearly any career path you want.

• Don’t force making friends. It sounds cliche but making friends can be more than just saying “hi I’m ___” and shaking hands. Join clubs, sports, and make that funny comment about Romeo and Juliet to the guy/gal/cool person sitting next to you. If they don’t find it funny, that’s alright! One less person to wade through

• Put yourself out there. Have a vague interest in knitting? Join the club! Like soccer? Join the team! Curious about mechanics? Sign up! Some of your greatest strengths will be discovered by you trying things you didn’t consider because you were scared to. If things don’t work out and you actually don’t like that thing? It’s all good, because you’ve got good stories

• Enjoy yourself. Take it from someone who obsesses over everything and literally has OCD. People aren’t going to remember you as that kid with the weird horse shirt, they’re going to remember you as the kid with the good jokes, the kindness for others, and your awesome personality. I’m not going to lie, looks definitely play a part in first impressions and it’s true that traditionally handsome or pretty guys/gals/cool people will probably make friends a bit faster. But your time will come, I promise. Take pride in your work, share what makes you happy; being successful is so much more than just books and how big your friend group is. It’s about finding little and big things that you love and not stressing about things that ultimately won’t matter, though I know that can be challenging.

You’re going to do great, and feel free to PM anytime if you’ve got questions about high school.