Is popularity the key to happy school days? More than one has complained that the student who is lost in a sea of unfamiliar faces may have difficulty feeling at ease with the young people around him, especially if they are different from those he has known.

It isn't easy to make new friends, but it is a cinch to lose them so it ill behooves a teen in a new school to treat friendships lightly.


Here are some pointers to ease the way:

1. Do not expect other people to conform to your pattern of living. Learn to understand them, their mode of living, the customs of their families, and their interests.

2. Avoid dreary outlooks, telling troubles to everyone you meet. Be jolly, and you will not only win friends, but be able to weather the hurdles you encounter.

3. A reputation of being a gossip can make you highly unpopular. You'll attract those who love to gossip, and they may even eventually turn the heat on you.

4. Be helpful without expecting obvious rewards. If you lend someone a book don't expect him to fall on his face in appreciation.

5. If your family is better heeled than most of your friends, don't emphasize the fact.

6. A group may laugh at your off‑color jokes or crude remarks, but these are unflattering tributes to your popularity. Good types will avoid you on other occasions, especially in not extending invitations to their homes.

7. Do not speak disparagingly of ex‑friends‑‑‑‑girls or beaus. When friendships cease, go on to make new friends.

8. Students below par in your estimation should not be avoided in such a way that they are sneered into despair.

9. The most difficult role you can play is that of a liar. You'll need a perfect memory to put it over, and the chances are you'll be suspect Number 1 after the first few tries.

10. Avoid suspicion. Your imagination may be the reason people don't like you, gossip about you, or try to avoid you. If you have such ideas, test the individuals you suspect by pouring out the honey instead of the vinegar. If they are against you, this method may change their attitude, and if your doubts are merely of your imagination, a shot of honey will have done no more than impress the suspect.

One way to make friends is to learn to like people. Many girls, especially, have difficulty making fast friends because they try to single out a girl without getting to know her. Get to know as many people as you can, and from these acquaintances you may make some very choice friends.

You will naturally choose those who see more eye‑to‑eye with you, rather than those who are different from you. Meanwhile give everybody a chance.