Make new friends to stay focused

High school is not just about your friends and social life. It’s also about becoming the person you want to be and laying a concrete career foundation to reap big in future. If your friends switch school, it may often feel like you have been abandoned and socially isolated. However, such feelings shouldn’t push you to equally switch schools; instead, you should work hard in class to keep busy and succeed. Remember, these friends are not your goal for being in school. It’s all about engaging yourself in all academic ventures that will pave way for you to thrive and have a bright future. Friends can come and go but the knowledge you get from education is a permanent asset that you stay with for all your lifetime, so, articulate your preferences by putting academics first and in the process connect with new friends. There are a number of approaches you can apply to win a wide range of supportive, fun, and meaningful friends both within and outside school. Fortunately, careful planning should guide you about who you should target for a friend to avoid friends with dissolute behaviours such as drug abuse, involvement in risky sexual behaviours and exposure to ruinous illicit materials. Look out for focused and motivated classmates with unique talents, knowledge or new ideas to be shared and boost your friendship in a more meaningful manner. Remember that not everyone has to be your best friend, and it can sometimes be good to have casual acquaintances that you can basically hang out with. This will help you find a sense of purpose and reconnect with like-minded, passionate individuals in your school who will help you to obliterate the feeling of loneliness and give you a new logic of belonging and association. Forming study groups can be an excellent strategy for enhancing your own motivation, fostering intellectual agility, and encouraging cooperation amongst fellow students. This is because groups inspire and create avenues for you to practice and sharpen a number of skills like communication and critical thinking which provide opportunity for intensive understanding and ultimately improved academic performance. Changing school because friends have changed sounds irrational and may come with a number of shortcomings which may cause you trouble. It’s okay to keep in touch with your old friends but you shouldn’t be driven by their decisions and movements Get actively involved in the school co-curricular activities like sports, games, debating clubs or school choir. This will automatically expose you to a group of friends with exciting interests and maintain your physical, academic and psychological fitness. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

Education

Make new friends to stay focused