[Timmy Sterling]

Okay, I'm a 15 year old freshmen in high school. I went to a private middle school where I had a lot of close friends and I got a long with every one great (there were only about 50 kids in the 8th grade). After 8th grade all my friends went to different schools, I now go to a public high school with none of my friends from middle school. Most of my friends are in the same church as me and I see them once or twice a week. And I sort of have a girlfriend, but I can't see or call her very often.

My problem is makingfriends at my new school. I've have made a couple friends at my school now, mostly guys. The majorty of my new friends are my friends because they approached me first. I listen to what people say but rarely ever talk or start conversations. Also most of the people at my high school came from only two different schools, so everyone already had their cliques and groups of friends. I want to make more friends but I don't know how

Please help,
Timmy

[Choux]

Get into a couple of sports... that will help you greatly. :)

[timtim-awesim]

Apparently you did make some friends. Stop worrying. Maybe find ways to spend more time with the people you met. Ask them to come to your house and play sports/watch movies/play videogames/fight to the death/whatever. You could do the same with this "sort of" girlfriend.

[SimpleguyJoe]

Umm if your shy the best thing to do is to get into some kind of after school club. Whether it be football or choir whatever suits you. I can tell you that your friend group will probably double if join football. But it's a tough sport with a tough crowd and if you get emotionally hurt easily throwing yourself into something like this would be good for you in the long run as you would come out a much more social person. But you would have to be up to the social / mental / physical challenge.

Just know that nothing will get better unless you put effort into making it better.

[Susan Harper]

:) OK look at the BIG Picture. You have friends congrats! I think you are very rich for that reason. The small school will naturally be a more tight knit community than a large school. This happens at schools, neighborhoods, and at work too. The larger the group the less connected it tends to be. So you really can't compare your last school to your current school. You are doing great having friends, just enrich what you've good.

[Gemini54]

Making friends takes time. A good start, as others have said, is to join social or sporting clubs where there are people that share your interests.

The other thing that's really important is to be interested in people. You say that you listen a lot and don't talk much. Start talking. People like to feel that other people are interested in them, so ask people questions about themselves and genuinely listen to their answers. Make small talk about the weather, football, music, a program on the TV - whatever.

The most important thing is to take an interest in other people and to make them feel comfortable in your company. The rest will flow.