An Online School Student Shares 3 Important Tips For Making Friends
By T.J. Bryant, Stride Student Advisor
As an online student, you may be feeling lonely without anyone your own age doing school with you, in person. Even if you have a digital chat during class time, that is likely the greatest amount of time you will spend with another online classmate. If you want to expand your friend group, during your time in online school, there are three important tips that are essential for your success.
Tip #1 For Socializing In Online School: Join A Group Or Club
Online school can be a hard environment in which to make friends, and even more so when you have minimal access to the internet and social media. In my first years of online school, I was very lonely because I was not allowed to have any type of social media account, so I did not see anything in common between myself and my classmates. That was up until I joined a writing club, where students could share their creative short stories. When I joined, I found a group of people I could talk to openly, and that is when I started to make friends. You need to be able to try new things and the many extracurricular activities that your school offers, if you want to make new friends.
Tip #2 For Socializing In Online School: Follow The Rules
This second tip is even more important than the first tip for online school socialization, because it is essential to your safety. The tip is to follow the rules. In any online school, there are systems in place to keep the student’s information safe and in right hands. If you are going to attempt to make a connection with another classmate, via a social media page or email, make sure to check with your parent and/or guardian. This will ensure that it is acceptable and safe to do so. Also, make sure to check with your homeroom teacher or counselor, to further confirm that you are not breaking any information policy agreements.
Tip #3 For Socializing In Online School: Be Courageous
The third tip is to be courageous! Do not wait to start the process of exchanging information because you only have a limited time before your graduation. Do not rush the process either, but be brave enough to take the initiative. However, just like I mentioned in the previous online school tip, make sure everything has been done properly and safely, so that you can have a healthy relationship.
There are many other tips you can acquire by asking people who have already made friends online, as well, but there is one more important point that I’d like to offer up for students at online schools… always remember to be yourself. If you do not put your best and most authentic self out there and talk to others, then you will have a tough time making friends. Being a kind, honest, and responsible person is the absolute best way to make friends in both the virtual and real worlds.
To read more about attending an online school, be sure to check out What I Learned From Doing Online School For 10 Years.
Stride also has an article to help students new to online high school, so make sure you read 5 Tips For New Online High School Students, too!
And, be sure to check out the 2022 Graduates Speak About Their Online Education podcast.
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