How to Become Popular in Middle School

Middle school can be a challenging time for many, as students face physical and emotional changes while also worrying about what others truly think of them. However, if your goal is to become popular in middle school, don't worry. All you need to do is capture attention, be sociable, and become the best version of yourself while staying true to who you are.

Show Yourself. One of the key factors in becoming popular is making sure people notice you and want to be around you. To achieve this, you must put yourself out there. If you walk down the hallways alone, dread the next class, or frown during gym class, you won't make a good impression, and others will find being near you uncomfortable. The secret to making people want to be around you is to let them see you smiling and enjoying yourself. This will make them want to spend time with you.

• When hanging out with friends, laugh and joke to show everyone that you're enjoying your time at school.
• Even when walking down the hallway alone, smile at people and spread positive energy so they'll want to get to know you.

Stand Out – for a Good Reason. A pink Mohican haircut or wearing a swimsuit to school will surely make you stand out, but that's not the kind of attention you want. To gain positive attention, let others know who you are and leave a positive impression when they hear your name. Here are some ways to get noticed:

• You are the guy who always carries a guitar – and you’re great at playing it.
• You have a distinctive laugh that everyone can hear from across the school.
• Your fashionable style catches the eye. You could also create a unique look, like a hippie or rock music lover, so everyone knows you.
• Maybe you have a deep and husky voice that’s unique. Whatever your habit is, don’t try to hide it. Remember, you want to be noticed for what makes you special.

Join a Group. Joining a group and participating in sports is not only a great way to stay active and feel happier, but it’s also an ideal way to meet new people and become more popular. You don’t have to be the star of the football team, just have fun and get active after school. Whether your school has a football team or you’re playing for a city league, try to participate in at least one sport to increase your chances of meeting interesting people.

• You may not enjoy sports or lack the commitment, but if you dedicate at least one year in middle school to a sport, you’ll make more friends and expand your social circle.
• Sports also teach you about teamwork and how to communicate with different types of people, which helps you interact with others in daily life and develop skills that make you more popular.

Join a Club. Being part of a club will help you meet people, showcase your abilities, and make you more interesting as you pursue your hobbies. Choose a topic that truly interests you, such as debate, French, Model UN, or many other subjects, and pursue it. Become a leader, use your position to improve the club, and get to know more people.

• Don’t think that joining a club is boring or for bookworms. Encourage others to join a high school club and show them that being part of it can be exciting.
• Joining a club and playing sports if you have the time will be a fantastic way to meet more people than ever before. The people you meet in a club might be different from those in your sports team.

Pursue Multiple Interests. The more hobbies you have, the more people you’ll meet. The more people you know, the more likely you are to be noticed, and your name will become more widely known. You can play soccer, join a comedy club, and become a student helper in the library – do anything you find interesting and use your position to meet new people.

• If you only pursue one hobby, you’ll only meet one type of person. The key to truly becoming popular is the ability to attract a diverse range of people.

Speak Up in Class. You might think that speaking up in class won’t make you seem cool, and it’s better to sit at the back of the room like you’re doing something more interesting. Instead, participate in class and do your homework to show that you really understand what you're talking about. You don’t have to be the teacher’s pet, but you should speak up so that all the other students know who you are and appreciate what you say.

• Make sure you don’t come across as showing off or acting like you know everything when you speak up. Be respectful and open when answering the teacher.

Become friendly – with everyone. If you want to become famous, you need to make an effort to be sociable, even if you're shy. You don't have to force yourself to change your personality to be friendly with everyone, even if you think someone can't help improve your social standing. The worst thing you can do is become a 'climber,' only talking to people who make you more famous. Instead, take the time to be friendly to anyone who crosses your path – you'll be rewarded later.

• Whenever you run into someone and they don't seem busy, say hello and give them a big smile, or wave at them. You don't need to have anything in common with someone to be kind to them.
• Being a trickster, like the character in the movie 'The Girls with Attitude,' isn't impressive. The attitude may seem entertaining in a movie, but you'll grow weary of it in real life.
• Treat everyone with kindness and respect. Be kind to everyone and help them 'just because you want to,' not because you think they will invite you to their birthday party.

Show genuine interest in others. If you really want to become famous, you need to show that you genuinely care about others, whether they like you or not. You should express your interest by taking the time to be friendly, checking in with friends and acquaintances to see how they're doing, and asking about their hobbies, family, and goals outside of school.

• When talking to others, you could ask questions like, 'Did you have a good day?' or 'Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?' to show that you're genuinely interested in their lives.
• Listen as much as you speak. If you spend all your time talking about yourself and all the exciting things you've done, people will quickly get bored.
• You should also ask others for their opinions on various topics, such as the cookies in the school canteen or which club you should join. Asking for their advice shows that you care and value their input.

Make friends in different groups. If you really want to become popular in middle school, try making friends with both the well-known students and others around the school. If you only talk to kids in your 8th-grade class because you think it's 'cool,' you’ll run into trouble in high school, where there will be many new people, and you’ll only know a few. Work on making friends with everyone – from the cute girl in your class to the guy with the locker next to yours.

• You don't have to become best friends with everyone, but you should try to find people who care about you and can teach you something without being too obvious.

Small talk. Small talk is essential. Becoming an expert at casual conversation can help you talk to anyone and make them feel at ease before you dive deeper or make more jokes. To engage in small talk, all you need to do is approach someone, greet them, and start talking about the events of the day. Asking everyday questions can lead to more interesting conversations and make people open up to you. Here are some suggestions for casual chats:

• 'Have you seen the movie World War Z? I thought it was really exciting – what do you think?'
• 'Do you think the Algebra test was hard? I spent the whole weekend studying and still couldn't get more than half of the questions right. How about you – did you do anything more interesting this weekend?'
• 'How did your game go? Sorry I missed it.'
• Make sure your questions don't just lead to a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer. The person you're talking to should give more details, or the conversation will quickly end, and you'll be left wondering what to say next.

Make people laugh. Making others laugh is key to being sociable and gaining popularity. If you're comfortable being the class clown, embrace it. If you prefer impressing people with your sharp wit, that's great too. If you're good at teasing people and making them laugh out loud, try doing so. Don’t force the humor, but maximize your strengths when making others laugh.

• Pay attention to when people laugh the hardest during your conversations. Take note of what made them laugh, and then try repeating something similar next time.

Learn how to make yourself happy. This is an important step in becoming a cheerful, sociable, and more popular person. People often think famous students are flawless and can do no wrong, but it’s refreshing if they see you as interesting because you don’t take yourself too seriously. You don’t have to belittle yourself or feel awkward about learning how to make yourself laugh, but you can joke about your flaws and fears to show others you’re comfortable with who you are.

• No one is perfect. If others see you making fun of yourself in conversations, they’ll like you more.
• If you can’t make yourself laugh and are too sensitive to handle jokes when others tease you, they’ll find you boring. No one wants to be friends with a dull person.

Invest a little in your appearance. You don’t need to be a makeup expert or wear the trendiest shoes or jeans to be popular and attract attention. However, you should pay attention to your appearance, making sure your clothes and body look neat, your face is oil-free, and people will have a positive first impression of you. You’ll also feel more confident when you know you look good.

• Girls shouldn't wear makeup just to copy their friends if they don't really want to. Natural beauty will leave a stronger impression than a look created with eyeshadow and lip gloss.

Become confident. Although you can't become confident overnight, you can make an effort to be more confident – being happy with your true self, your actions, and your appearance. Focus on your best qualities instead of dwelling on flaws, and walk into the classroom like you’re happy to be there and deserve to be. You can fake it until you make it. Even if you don’t feel confident, acting confidently will earn you respect from others.

• Create confident body language. Stand tall, broaden your shoulders instead of slouching, and look straight ahead instead of at the floor.
• Make eye contact when speaking with others. This shows you’re comfortable with social interactions.
• Don’t put yourself down. Badmouthing yourself to get attention or have something to talk about will make others think you don’t value yourself.

Be yourself. If you want to attract attention, you should embrace your unique appearance or perspective on life. You don’t need to act "strange" or do anything uncomfortable just to stand out. Stick to the habits, thoughts, and actions that make you special. People will notice if you become an individual rather than just following the crowd.

• Don’t dress like everyone else just to fit in. Find a style that suits your personality.
• You don’t have to listen to the same music as everyone else to be popular. You’ll earn more respect if you take the time to discover the music you truly love and share it with others.
• Don’t hesitate to voice your opinions in class, even if they differ from everyone else’s. Your unique perspective will grab attention.

Excel at something. Another way to easily gain attention and boost your confidence is by standing out in a particular subject, whether it’s being the best English student in class or the top goalkeeper in middle school. Don’t think you’ll be "uncool" for caring about something. Instead, pursue what you enjoy and work hard to become excellent at it. You’ll reap the rewards later.

• Becoming great at something not only attracts attention but also builds your character.
• If you’re dedicated to what you truly love, you’ll care less about others’ opinions and find it easier to make friends.
• Excelling at something makes you more engaging in conversations, so people will enjoy talking to you more about what you love – just be sure not to brag about it.

Stop caring about what others think. It seems almost impossible to stop worrying about what others think in middle school, especially when many people spend their time gossiping and speculating about each other. It’s natural to care about others’ opinions when you’re still growing both physically and mentally, and haven’t fully figured out your place in the world.

• When you realize that you’re not the only one feeling anxious or wondering what others think of you, it will help you care less.
• Focus on doing things that make you happy instead of worrying about whether people will laugh at you for doing them!
• If you spend your life doing whatever you think will make others like you more, you’ll never feel truly satisfied.
• When you walk into a room, stand tall and confident instead of checking your reflection every few seconds, worrying about your clothes, and wondering what people think of your appearance.

Realize this is just middle school. Your popularity won’t matter to anyone once you enter high school. In fact, the more famous you are in high school, the less likely people will like you because of the typical "famous person" behavior. Fame only lasts through eighth grade, so don’t let it bother you. Just be kind and make the right friends. What’s the point of becoming popular if no one likes you? It’s just middle school, and fame is often the easiest path to future conflict.

• In fact, several studies show that young people who are not famous in middle school tend to be more successful later in life. If you don’t view yourself as famous, understand that things will only get better from here – even if the famous people you know have already achieved success.

• Don’t waste your time on people who make sarcastic comments; ignore them. Nothing frustrates them more than knowing their opinion doesn’t matter to you at all.
• Do you see someone sitting alone at the back of the class? Invite them to sit with you at lunch!
• If you excel in a particular area, go after it and aim to improve even more. At the same time, try different activities and don’t always hang out with just one person.
• If you want to become popular, don’t show off. People will think you’re trying to make yourself the center of attention. Just be yourself.
• Try doing something fun during lunch with friends, like dancing, grading tests, playing chess, helping younger kids, tutoring, or starting a small club.
• If you have a talent, don’t hide it! But remember, if you brag too much, people won’t like you.
• Don’t try to be someone else. Learn to respect yourself first. Only then can you hope to be respected by others for being you.
• Always act as if you don’t spend much time studying, but still get good grades. That will make people envy you.
• Always be yourself! Nobody likes someone who is trying to be someone else.
• Invite a few friends to see a movie at the theater; this often draws attention.

• Don’t let fame control your life. You are who you are, and nothing can change that. Be happy with who you are, and don’t obsess over who you want to become.
• Don’t use foul language; people will think you’re talking badly about others. Stay calm.
• Don’t let peer pressure sway you, especially when it comes to things like drugs and alcohol. Anyone who pressures you to become like them or do things you know are wrong is not your friend.
• Never make someone feel bad for being themselves. Words spread fast, and no one wants to hang out with someone who talks badly about others.
• Don’t distance yourself from your friends just to become popular. Your old friends will stick with you forever as long as you still hang out with them or talk to them every once in a while, while popular friends might not stick around.
• If someone is bullying you and won’t stop, talk to your parents, your school counselor/teacher, or any trusted adult. No one has the right to control, gossip, or harm anyone else.