St. Augustine Prep Blog

Finding Friends in High School: How Clubs Can Help You Connect

Posted March 7th, 2019

While high school brings a whole new level of academic challenges, the biggest fear of most high school students is around social interactions, especially at the start of high school. Many teens wonder how they will make friends in a new high school and if they will find a group where they feel totally comfortable and accepted.

Fortunately, high school also offers a built-in way to make new friends through clubs and activities. Extracurricular opportunities are a great way to make friends for a number of reasons.

How Extracurriculars Lead to New Friendships

• Clubs and activities provide a structured environment for you to interact with other students. The awkwardness of figuring out what to do with someone you don’t know very well is taken care of with club meetings, outings, or projects.
• You’ll meet people who share your interests. Whether it’s drama, music, robotics, debate, or some other pursuit, you’ll be with other students who enjoy some of the same things you do and likely have similar ideas or goals for the future.
• Extracurriculars let you get to know students in other grades. If you’re only friends with people from your classes, you may be missing out on some great friendships with students who are a year or two older or younger than you. Most clubs include some students from every grade in the school

Getting Started
So what’s the first step to getting involved with a club and meeting friends? Try the tips below and you’ll be on your way to finding a club you love and friends for the high school journey and beyond.

• Try It Out
  You can attend a meeting or two of a club before you actually join. This gives you an opportunity to see if it’s truly a good fit for your interests. Also, most clubs welcome new members even after the start of the school year. So if you missed the first few meetings, don’t sweat. You will still be able to check it out.

• Join More than One
  You’ll meet even more potential friends by joining more than one club or activity. High school is a great time to explore and deepen skills and interests, and trying a number of things can help you gain insight into your strengths, potential careers, and interests you may want to pursue in college.

• Be Approachable
  When you are interacting with a group of new people, show you are genuinely interested in getting to know others by saying hello, asking questions that let them share something about themselves, and contributing to club ideas and discussions.

Explore More than 40 Extracurriculars at St.Augustine Preparatory School

Students at St. Augustine Preparatory School in Richland, NJ,  have the opportunity to try a wide range of clubs and extracurricular activities. With more than 40 offerings, it’s the perfect school to meet new people who have like-minded interests. A few of the activity choices include Model UN, A Cappella, Interact Club, Drama,  and Robotics. Browse a full list of opportunities. Not only do the clubs offer a chance to build strong friendships and explore interests, but they also allow students to develop leadership and organizational skills. If you’re a prospective student, you can learn more about St. Augustine Preparatory School on this overview page.