How to Stand Out in School

Maintain good hygiene. One of the easiest ways to boost your popularity is by staying fresh and smelling pleasant. Students often judge others based on appearances, and bad body odor can quickly lead to rejection. Shower regularly, brush your teeth, floss, and use deodorant. You'll look more attractive, whether you're male or female.

• Washing your face regularly is also a good idea. Teenage years are often plagued by acne and blackheads, and washing your face can help combat these issues.
• If you're worried about sweating during the day due to weather or gym class, keep a deodorant stick or scented spray in your locker or bag.

Styling your hair. Beyond maintaining cleanliness, you won't attract many friends if you look like you just rolled out of bed, regardless of your age. Spend a few minutes each morning styling your hair in a way that you think looks best. A little effort can lead to success, even if it's just a bit of gel or a few passes with a straightener or blow dryer.

• If you're unhappy with your current hairstyle, consider a haircut. Unsure about what style to choose? Your hairstylist can recommend a cut that complements your face shape. You might also explore highlights or a different hair color.

Pay attention to your attire. Every school is different, and no specific look guarantees you'll stand out. In some schools, the rebels are the 'cool' ones, while in others, it's the 'athletes.' The key is to focus on your clothing and step out with a look you genuinely love. Are your clothes clean? Do they fit well? Do you feel confident wearing them? These are the main points to consider.

• If you feel you look good, you'll walk and act accordingly, and people will notice. Confidence is a significant part of your personality. You don't need to be exceptionally beautiful, smart, or funny; just be confident, and the world will take notice.

Let your personality shine through your appearance. When it comes to clothes and accessories, don't hesitate to embrace your unique style. Explore the outfits you enjoy wearing, the brands and accessories you love, and create your own style. Wear them to school and stand out. Who knows, you might just start a new fashion trend.

• Making an impression also involves being a leader and pursuing unique activities—not being a follower. Don't worry about those who judge your attire or those who try too hard to fit in (they're all the same). Your unique style will attract like-minded individuals.

Join various organizations. Standing out isn't just about being popular; it's about being known. And what's the easiest way for people to recognize your name and face? By joining school organizations, of course. Try to participate in a few non-overlapping groups—this way, you'll meet a wide range of people and explore different interests.

• Aim to join one of each type of activity: sports, academics, and arts. You could join the basketball team, the school newspaper, and the choir. It will also make your college application look quite impressive.

Observe. Try to figure out where people stand on the "social ladder." It’s not a huge deal (being impressive is more about being liked than being famous), but it helps you understand how to connect with others. What do the standout individuals look like? Are they athletes, intellectuals, or rebels? What about the middle group? Do they mimic others or seem to do their own thing? And the lower group? Who do you want to befriend? It’s best to make friends across all levels—you never know how things might turn out.

• If you want to be popular, befriend one of the nicer popular people; they’ll be your ticket into the "group." Just make sure you don’t step on others to get there. Sometimes, friends fall out, and the person you rejected might not stick around when you need them most.

Be friendly with everyone. Again, being impressive doesn’t necessarily mean being popular. Many "popular" students are mean and not genuinely liked. Becoming one of them won’t help you. Instead, aim to stand out by having people truly appreciate you. To do this, simply be kind and friendly to everyone you meet. Why would you do anything else, right?

• You probably already know how to be friendly. The key is to be kind even to those you think aren’t impressive. Help them when they need it. Greet them in the hallway if you know them. You never know—they might be the next big thing in a few months.

Don’t abandon old friends for new ones. Just because you’re trying to join a more impressive group doesn’t mean you should ditch your old friends. If you do, the group you want to join will notice—and no one wants to be friends with that kind of person. Keep your old friends while making new ones.

Act like everything comes naturally. You can spend hours on your hair/makeup and just say you "ran a brush through it." People will admire you because what takes them hours only takes you 5–10 minutes. They’ll want to be like you, but don’t keep bringing it up or bragging about it.

Don’t try too hard. Most adults will tell you this as you grow up: being impressive isn’t that important, and if people realize it’s mostly about not trying, they won’t stress so much. Though easier said than done, try to relax a bit. If you overdo it, it’s a turnoff, and people will think you lack confidence or don’t like yourself. If you don’t love yourself, why should they?

• For example, someone you don’t know asks you out. You say no. Then they start sending love letters. You still say no. Next comes flowers. Before you know it, they’re at your door at night. They’re trying way too hard. Does it work? No. In fact, it has the opposite effect. You wish they had some self-respect and would just leave you alone.

Value your own opinion above everyone else's. Do your best not to care about what others think of you. Just let it go. Why? Because not everyone will like you. No one can be liked by everyone since we all have flaws and different personalities. If you know someone is judging you, you can speak up, then act like you don’t care, because it’s true. Practice thinking this way, and your confidence will grow through self-acceptance. People at school will start wondering where you got such self-esteem!

• This is where style comes into play. Skaters, materialists, bookworms, etc., all have their own styles. We’re different, and none is better than the other. If someone judges you, they’re stuck in their narrow-minded thinking. They won’t get far, so don’t befriend them. It’s a dead-end road.

Avoid becoming a bully. Don’t be mean to others at school just to make yourself look cooler. In reality, most people don’t like bullies; they’re just too scared to admit it to their faces. Over time, bullies lose their power and end up with nothing. It might seem tempting now, but in the long run, it will only harm you.

• Don’t gossip or spread rumors.
• Avoid making negative comments. Just because you don’t like someone or something they did doesn’t mean you need to speak up.
• Don’t exclude others. After all, you’re reading this because you want people to like you.

Don’t let bullies treat you badly. Easier said than done, but in school, using humor and good social tactics is key. With friends by your side, you’ll become untouchable. If things get worse, let a trusted adult know so they can help you handle it.

Be open-minded. Remember how we discussed that being impressive is about being liked by different people? To be liked by different people, you need to like them. Open your mind and realize that it’s not just the coolest people who matter—everyone does. You’ll seem friendlier, more likable, and fun—the kind of person most of us want to be around.

• Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Zac Efron, Kristen Stewart, Lady Gaga—they’re all impressive but weren’t popular in school (at least according to them). This proves that if you’re not open-minded, you might miss out on some amazing people.

Respect others. Showing respect to others, even if they’re not your friends, demonstrates that you don’t discriminate based on anything just because they’re not in your circle. You’ll build a positive reputation for being kind, considerate, and someone people can rely on without fear of judgment. Sounds pretty cool, right?

• A great way to make friends is by making them laugh. If you’re joking about someone, make sure they see it as good-natured humor. And avoid mocking teachers—it can easily backfire.

Stay positive. You know that student sulking in the corner, dressed in black, frowning, and not talking to anyone? They don’t seem very happy, do they? Would you want to be around that negativity? Probably not. If you want to be the center of attention and have people like you, stay positive. Hold your head high, be ready to laugh at yourself, and spread your positivity and awesomeness. People will naturally gravitate toward you to soak up those vibes.

• And does it spread to others? Absolutely. Some studies suggest that being around happy people makes us happier, while being around sad people makes us sadder. So, can you be that ray of sunshine for your friends? Definitely!

Smile. When it comes to people, we’re pretty simple. We know what we like and don’t like, and one thing that makes us really like someone is a smile on their face. It not only shows others you’re happy, but it also makes you happier (your mind starts to believe it) and can make you more attractive. Put a smile on your face and notice how it feels. Over time, it’ll become a worthwhile habit!

• However, try not to force a fake smile. Keep it natural. Most people can spot a fake smile from a mile away. If you stay positive, it won’t be hard to smile genuinely.

Be true to yourself. While the phrase "be yourself" is repeated often, it doesn’t mean it’s not valuable advice. In fact, you need to recognize the difference between "not trying too hard" and "staying true to your style" when being yourself—unless you’re not already impressive, in which case you might need to change. Why does being yourself, if you’re already cool, make you cooler? Being yourself means you’re comfortable and confident. Trying to be someone else just makes you a copycat, and fakeness is definitely not cool.

• Think about it: only you can truly be yourself—no one else can do it. You’re unique, with skills and traits no one else has. You can offer the world something different. So, why try to be a second-rate version of someone else? You’re already cooler than anything you could pretend to be.

Realize that school years (and being cool) won’t last forever. Recent studies show that popular high school students often don’t succeed as much in the long run compared to their less popular peers. So, if you’re stressing about being impressive and popular now, consider that the truly cool people are likely peaking in life right now. Things will go downhill for them from here, and up for you. That’s winning, even if it doesn’t feel like it.

• In short, being cool is temporary. As we grow older, we realize that "cool" doesn’t really exist. We move on and start doing our own thing because it makes us happy. If being cool doesn’t come easily to you, just wait. Over time, things will get easier.

Be a trendsetter. Standout individuals rarely follow others; they are the ones who create trends. Take initiative in your planning. Explore different music genres and share them with friends. Try out new games and experiment with fresh fashion styles. Not everything you do will set a trend, but being a follower won't enhance your status.